Live It Up
by Starwarshobbitfics
Summary: After nearly 35 years of living her life on Earth, Ahsoka finally reaches yet another major milestone : She is finally retiring from her day job at Burt's Garage. With her new freedom, she'll have even more time to enjoy her grandchildren and more. Lux and her children will celebrate her milestone by taking a Safari trip to Kenya, Africa. Rated T for Natural Predation Scenes.
1. The Last Day of Work

**Wednesday, May 16th, 2018**

An important day had begun for Ahsoka. Today would be the day that she was retiring from her job at Burt's Garage. She had been with them for over 34 years. She had celebrated her 55th birthday on February 8th. She had planned years ago to retire at her current age. She had seen some people she knew that waited to retire until they were 65, only to fall ill and pass away months later. She and Lux decided to retire early, so they could enjoy their grandchildren for a good number of years before eventual tragedy would strike them.

Lux had retired a year ago and had found a way to spend his extra time with a productive hobby : He built and sold custom wooden bird houses and feeding stations for anyone that enjoyed watching and feeding small birds. If requested, he would also create a special part to accommodate hummingbirds as well.

Ahsoka, on her end, had expanded her collection of invertebrates by adding in less common arachnids, such as Whip-Scorpions and Amblypygids. She also opened up to Myriapods, which consisted of Centipedes and Millipedes. The latter were handy to have as they were fond of rotten vegetables and fruits, so there was no need to toss any that went bad to the trash. Last but definitely not least, Ahsoka discovered the wonderful world of Mantids. A couple of months ago, she received a baby Orchid Mantis, which she reared with relative ease. The insect was visually stunning and would often appreciate a small sip of liquid honey, almost from her hand.

After a quick shower, she grabbed the nearby towel to cover and dry herself. Despite being older, she still looked like she was in her 30s.

" _Ok, time to see what the ol' scale will tell me today._ " She set her orange feet onto the scale. She waited for a moment for a number to appear. It was higher than she expected. "Huh ?! 160 lbs ?! H-how ?! I'm usually between 150 and 155…" She shook her head. "Well… that means I'll need to cut back on junk food even more. And maybe it wouldn't hurt to double my morning exercises ? At least, it shouldn't be too difficult to get rid of this small bit of flab." She patted her stomach.

She quickly walked back to her room and chose her clothes for her last day of work. She was excited about the new milestone she reached in her life, but she also worried about becoming bored with time. Once she was clothed, she made her way downstairs for her breakfast. As usual, it consisted of a couple of toasts and an egg with a couple slices of bacon. Due to her species' carnivorous diet, meals that didn't include at least one piece of meat were few and far between.

While she and Lux gifted Burt and Linda with a Keurig brewer on Christmas '16, they were offered an updated model of the popular brewer, which allowed more options. Besides the brewer was a ring of K-Cups, Ahsoka sifted through the selection until she made a choice. "Hmm… A Light Roast is nice once in a while, but I'd need something with a bit more kick. Oh ! I haven't had that Espresso one in a good while. Let's do this."

As the Keurig hummed to life, she reached into the fridge for the quart of milk and had the sugar at her reach. At first, she had found the coffees to be bitter and often drowned out the taste with too much sugar. Over time, she placed less and less, savouring the unique aroma and taste without the sugar interfering. Taking her time, she sipped her coffee slowly, while looking at the clock. It was 6:15 am. She'd have just enough time to brush her teeth before heading out to avoid the worst of the morning traffic.

Half an hour later, she arrived at Burt's Garage. She could tell that Burt was slightly bothered by her leaving. He sighed deeply as he saw her coming towards him. "I can't believe it's your last day with us, Ahsoka. It feels like yesterday when you came to ask if we needed assistance…"

She wrapped her arms around her boss, hugging him. "I know, Burt. Time has really flied by over the years. We have all been so busy raising our families that we lost track of it. How long do you and Will expect to keep the business running ?"

He checked his calendar. "End of August, beginning of September is when we'll call it done. We want to ensure our loyal clients get the best service they can get in the city before they need to deal with less… enthused garage employees."

Will was almost 60, he still wore a baseball cap, the flap always pointing backwards. "Ya know, I can't think of a time that we got a complaint. Has it ever happened, boss ?"

Burt removed his sunglasses for a bit, looking for dirty spots. "I can't recall a time that we had a customer that wasn't satisfied either. What I know, is that Ahsoka here really helped out with my business' image."

Her lekku stripes darkened for a moment. "In what sense, boss ?"

Burt counted his fingers as he enumerated her qualities. "Let's see… you have a natural talent with machinery. There was no second-guessing when it came to figuring out a vehicle's issue. Just from the look or sound, you nailed the problem and fixed it accordingly. Every. Single. Time. You must be the most polite mechanic I've ever worked with, aside Will. You never lost your cool, even with some of our more demanding clients. And the best part… our kids hooked up and gave us some wonderful grandkids. Speaking of which, Anakin and Padmé are turning 8 today ! Jeez ! Time goes by WAY too fast !"

"I knew I was forgetting _something_ ! Can you remind me to call Mina during my lunch break ?" Ahsoka asked.

"Will do." Burt turned his head towards the honking of a coming vehicle. He rubbed his hands in delight. "Would you look at that ? A 1967 Volkswagen Type-2, hand-painted in '60s style with the typical over-saturated colors and crazy contrasts ! Definitely a "Hippy Van" !"

Ahsoka stared at the art design and felt a bit dizzy. "I shouldn't stare at it so much, the crazy colors are giving me a headache."

Once the van parked near the garage's entrance, the driver stepped out. A young man around 25, bearing an oversized goatee and long hair, almost reaching down to his waist. "Yo, I was wonderin' if ya fellas could check out my ride. Somethin' off. Dunno what…"

"We'll have it checked out." Burt motioned to Ahsoka. "My mechanic will have a look."

The man stared at Ahsoka, clearly in shock. "Jeebus ! That hairstyle is radical, girl ! Has to be the coolest thing I've seen yet…"

Ahsoka took the compliment. "Thank you. You can take her inside anytime. I'll have a look under. Odds are I'll find the problem and fix it in a jiffy."

Once the van was inside, Ahsoka pressed a switch to raise the van a bit so she could look underneath, using a flashlight. "I see your problem, sir. Your transmission is busted. Thankfully, that's one of the easier things to fix. I should be done in about… 30 minutes, ok with you ?"

The man gave her a thumbs up. "Awesome ! I saw a coffee shop not too far from here, so I'll go get that and a donut."

She nodded. "Go right ahead. By the time you get back, I should be nearly done."

While the young man left for a coffee and donut, Ahsoka gathered the necessary pieces to replace the transmission. While she was at it, she took the opportunity to do a checkup on the motor and performed an oil change. By the time the man returned, she was finishing up repairs. "And that should do it !"

As she washed her hands, the young man reached for his wallet. "How much would I owe ya, miss ?"

"Not only did I replace your transmission, but I also did an oil change, which it needed. Don't worry, that part is on the house. A 100$ and we're even. Good with you ?"

The man did a double-take. "100$ ?! That's it ? Usually, everywhere else almost charges double." He reached in his wallet and gave Ahsoka 5 bills of 20$. "Thanks again, miss ! I'll be sure to refer you guys to any of my friends that happen to drive in the area."

Once the van left, Ahsoka decided to take a break and pulled her cellphone from her purse. She quickly dialed Mina's work number.

"Blank and Bonteri Accounting, hello ! This is Mina speaking, how may I help you today ?"

"Hey, Mina, it's Mum. Have you got anything planned for the twins' 8th birthday later on ?"

"Hi Mom ! How are you ? Isn't today your last day of work with Burt and Will ? What are you going to do with yourself with so much free time ?"

"I'm fine, Mina. I'll take it one day at a time, sweetie. So, anything special for Anakin and Padmé ?"

"Actually, yes. I've placed reservations for the cantine inside the Bronx Zoo. They've been asking to visit for so long. I thought I could take down two birds with one stone. They'll finally get to see so many animals up close… and they can have a burger or a hot dog for dinner. I do have a Chocolate Cake in the fridge for tonight. Myself and Travis are closing up shop around 2:30 PM, so we can surprise the kids and get them while they leave their last classes. Do you think you can call Dad so we can all meet together… say around 3:30 ?"

"Sure, I'll call your father and let him know of your plans for the kids. He won't mind in the least. Do Burt and Linda know that we're all gathering there ?"

"Burt doesn't know yet, but I did call Linda. She'll get Burt later on in the afternoon."

"Well then, it does seem the kids will have a memorable birthday. I can't wait to see their faces."

"Believe me, Mom. We'll need to take some pictures. Be sure to bring your iPad to snap a few shots."

"Will do. Ok, I'll see you guys later. Bye."

"Bye, Mom. Thanks for calling."

Around Noon, Ahsoka was about to head out for her lunch break. Burt walked over to her. "Thanks for fixing those two vehicles this morning. Call it a day, ok ?"

Ahsoka did a double-take. "Huh ? You're sending me early ?"

Burt grabbed her and hugged her a bit forcefully. "You earned it ! Go home and enjoy a bit of extra time with Lux."

She broke away from her embrace. "I see someone else wants a goodbye hug. Come on, Will !"

Will wrapped his arms around her. "We'll be missin' ya, that's fer sure ! Ya did good on yer time, Ahsoka ! Thanks for all those years of hard work !"

"Stop it, you're gonna make me cry." A few tears slid down her cheeks. "I'll always cherish our time together, Will !" She turned to her boss. "Burt, I'll be seeing you later this afternoon. Mina and Travis arranged something really special for Anakin and Padmé. Linda should be picking you up sometime this afternoon. Bye and thanks again for giving my chance to prove myself all those years ago."

Once she arrived home, Lux was making himself a sandwich and soup.

"'Soka ? You're here early ? How did your last day of work go ?"

She sat next to him, glancing at the soup he was eating. "It went without a hitch, as usual, Lux. I'm still having a hard time to wrap my head around the fact that I no longer need to get up to work. It's… strange."

Lux rose up and served her a bowl. It was a chicken noodle soup. "Here we are. Yes, I can relate to the excitement and bewilderment of the situation. It is a major change. It took me at least 6 months to get rid of my old morning habits and adapt to the new lifestyle. Nowadays, I just take my sweet time to enjoy breakfast, look up the news online and then I go to work on the bird houses. If the mood takes me, that is.

There have been occasions that I didn't do anything productive. Sometimes, I simply take a stroll around town, on the lookout for new restaurants to visit and try out. You'll get used to it. Just give it time, dear."

"So we just enjoy ourselves and live it up, so to speak ?" She quickly sneaked a kiss.

"Pretty much. There's no need to be in such a rush anymore. We don't even have to do the dishes immediately after we've eaten. We can do them later tonight or even tomorrow morning." Lux explained.

"Oh ! By the way, Mina's doing something special for Anakin and Padmé's 8th birthday. They want us, Burt and Linda to meet with them at the Bronx Zoo around 3:30 this afternoon. While we see the animals, we'll eat at the cantine there."

Lux was always willing to give in to simple and pleasant meal options. "Mina always comes up with great ideas when it comes for anniversaries. Could she have gotten that from you ?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe. I don't recall having done anything too special during hers and Daniel's birthdays."

He scoffed at her. "You spoiled them rotten, that's what you did !"

"Was I wrong to do so ?"

Lux shook his head. "Not in the least. They definitely appreciated what we've done for them while they were growing up. If only Dan would get himself a nice girlfriend, that'd be great !"

"We may end up surprised, Lux. We need to be patient. Things will occur when they have to."

Lux finished up his sandwich. "Dan doesn't leave work until 5:30, right ? Which means he'll miss part of the twins' birthday present."

"At the very least, he could make it for dinner. Let me text him." She opened up her cellphone. "Hey Dan, we'll be at the Bronx Zoo with the extended family. Do you think you could meet us once you're done at work ?"

A few minutes passed and Ahsoka's cellphone buzzed. She received the following text from her son. "Bronx Zoo, huh ? I wouldn't miss it ! Sides, I do enjoy seeing my niece and nephew. See you all then !"

Lux was glad Daniel could make it as well. "So, everyone will be present. Perfect. It's around 1 in the afternoon, so what are we to do until say… 2:45 ?"

"Why don't you show me your latest birdhouses you've done ?" Ahsoka suggested.

Lux was always willing to show off his crafts. "By all means, they're right there in the backyard." He lead her outside.

Ahsoka looked at the various models. Some were larger than others. "You seem to be putting more and more work into it all and it shows !"

"Thank you, dear." He quickly grabbed her for a hug and kiss. "Let me explain these. The smallest of the 3 is designed mostly for Sparrows and Finches. The middle-sized one would accommodate some larger birds like Swallows and Jays. The largest is designed specifically for larger predatory birds such as Falcons and mid-sized Owls like the Barn Owl. All in all, I'm confident my clients will enjoy these… almost as much as the birds who will use them as nesting and feeding sites."

"Well, any bit of money aside your monthly pension you're getting from Apple is always a good thing. Makes me wonder what I could to earn a bit of money on the sides…"

Lux chuckled. "Well, I believe we both know the answer to that. You've been thinking about it more and more. It's the space issue that bothers me a bit."

She caught on to his meaning. "Are you telling me that you're actually greenlighting my idea of trying my hand at tarantula breeding ?"

"Don't work with anything that has 2000 or so babies per eggsac, please. That would be a bit too much to handle…" Lux walked back inside to look at her current collection. "Of all of these, which do you think would earn you the most profit ?"

Ahsoka glanced at each animal. "They are so many things to consider, Lux. I would love to have a successful pairing and sell some of the babies, but most would likely be passed on to a professional breeder/seller. There's no way I'd stick with all of them. And another thing is that I would feel much more at ease if I had something that is beginner friendly to offer, such as a Curly Hair or a Brazilian Black, for instance. It wouldn't feel right to sell some Indian Ornamentals to someone that has zero experience with these things."

Lux scratched his head. "Chewbacca was a Curly Hair, wasn't she ?"

"Yes, but she was most likely wild-caught. I would prefer to work with captive-bred animals. Less likely have internal issues like parasites or insecticide poisoning." She pondered a bit more. "You know… I haven't done an order with Ken the Bug Guy in a good while. It's a good time to see what he has available. Once in a while, he'll have some sexed pairs for sale." She browsed a bit through the selection, while Lux sat by her side.

"So no pairs from what I can make out ?" Lux asked.

"None. However, I have come across a few interesting animals. Can you get my credit card from my purse, please ?"

Lux handed over her card. "Try not to spend too much, huh ? You don't have the luxury of a pension plan like I did."

"I've been saving for years, Lux. There's no way we'll spend it all. Eventually, we'll have to pass a good chunk of our fortune to the kids and grandkids." She was always bothered when he stared at what she wanted to purchase, since it would be somewhat expensive. "You can resume work on your birdhouses, you know ?"

"Of course, you never want me around when you're buying, huh ?" Lux rolled his eyes. "Oh, hey ! You are now retired. You are absolutely entitled to enjoy yourself. Spend as much as you want to."

"Thanks." Minutes later, her order was completed. Seconds later, she received the confirmation email in her inbox. " _Now, all I have to do is wait. Friday morning will be awful. Knowing myself, I'll be keeping a lookout for that delivery truck every minute._ "

For the last bit of time until they departed for the Bronx Zoo, Ahsoka read on various message boards to prepare herself mentally for her new upcoming charges.

Once they arrived at the Bronx Zoo, Mina and Travis with the twins, along with Burt and Linda were waiting for them. Once everyone paid their tickets, they began their tour.

Padmé tugged at Mina's sleeve. "Mommy, I wanna see the monkeys first !"

Anakin stuck with his father. "Daddy, I want to see the lions, tigers and other big cats !"

Mina motioned to her son. "Ani… come here, please."

Anakin walked to his mother. "Mommy… I wanna see the big cats… please ?"

Mina showed him the map. "Look here, Ani. Our path first brings us to the Primates section, which is the Monkeys and Apes. Afterwards, we're going through the section of Felines, which comprises all cats. Then, we have the Canids, which are all the wolves and their relatives. Then we'll see a bunch of herbivores like deer, bison, wildebeest, antelopes and so on. Eventually, we'll see birds of all kinds. Then Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish. Last, but certainly not least, we'll see a lot of invertebrates. Like the ones Grandma Soka keeps at home. Ok ?"

Anakin couldn't help but be excited. "Oh, so we'll some cats after we're done with monkeys. Ok."

"So, what are we seeing first ?" Lux wondered.

They arrived at an enclosure with some very large, hairy apes. Mina could tell them apart easily. "Ah, so these are Mountain Gorillas. Impressive, aren't they ?"

Ahsoka tried to get a better look by getting closer to the glass. "So, they're native to Congo, right ?"

Mina quickly corrected her mother. "Not only Congo, Mom. They're also found in Rwanda and Uganda. Hmm… Look at that silverback male. He seems kinda interested in you, Mom."

Ahsoka backed away from the glass. "Why the heck would he be… Wait… WAIT ! What is he doing ?!" The gorilla charged Ahsoka and hit the glass, startling her.

"That was classic territorial behaviour, Mom. There's something he doesn't like about you. So he deemed you a threat to his group." Mina explained.

Ahsoka shook her head. "How do you know all of this ?! You could've been a biologist, for Force's Sake !"

"Don't you remember, Mom ? I read so many books about all sorts of animals when I was younger, so no surprise I retained so much knowledge."

Her lekku soon took their usual shade. "So providing you all those books was worth it in the end."

They moved on and arrived to the Lar Gibbons' enclosure. Small, with long limbs and a loud voice. As Anakin and Padmé covered their ears, Ahsoka and Mina covered their montrals.

"I kinda like their song, but they are loud." Padmé remarked.

Mina scoffed at her daughter. "You think these are loud, Padmé… Wait till we see the Howler Monkeys. Now those are LOUD !"

As they entered the Howler Monkey enclosure, their vocalising was deafening. Ahsoka tilted to Lux. "How's your hearing ?"

"Hurts." Lux moaned.

They moved on to less noisy primates such as Spider Monkeys, Baboons and the Orangutan. Padmé would get closer to those if she could. "Aww, the Orangutan looks so fluffy that I want to hug it and pet it." She turned to Mina. "Are those friendly, Mommy ?"

"They're amongst the most gentle of primates, Padmé. I've heard that if you offer them a candy bar, they'll break it in half and share it with you." Mina answered.

Anakin had every reason to be excited. "Oh ! OH ! I see lions up ahead ! Cool !"

Everyone stood as a zookeeper tossed some fresh meat to the lions in the cage. Everyone had a fair share of food. They then moved on to an enclosure mimicking the natural habitat of Siberian Tigers. A couple of them were feasting on a deer carcass.

Anakin especially enjoyed seeing the elusive Snow Leopard of the Himalayas with his own eyes. Afterwards, there was a small group of Cheetahs. They also saw some Canadian Lynx and a pair of Mountain Lions.

With the Canids section, first they saw a pack of Arctic Wolves feeding on a moose carcass. Afterwards, they came across some African Wild Dogs, just enjoying some fresh meat tossed by zookeepers.

A pack of Australian Dingoes were playing rough with each other, likely deciding whom stood where in the pack. At the last enclosure, they saw a lone Coyote, just sniffing around.

With the Ungulates, they had plenty to see. From the common White-Tailed Deer to the Canadian Moose, from the Springbok Antelope to the impressive Water Buffalo.

Then it became a bit more interesting. With birds, they not only saw an Albatross but also an Andean Condor, two birds with very impressive wingspans.

Padmé tugged at Mina's sleeve. "Mommy… are there parrots here ?"

"Just a bit more, Padmé. You'll see some Macaws, Cockatoos and even an African Grey. Just be a bit more patient, ok, sweetie ?"

"Ok, Mommy." They kept on and saw many predatory birds, such as the American Eagle, the Greater Horned Owl and the elusive Harpy Eagle from South America.

An enclosure was filled with Flamingoes of all species. Even Anakin was capable of appreciating their beauty.

Then came the parrots section. Visitors were allowed to enter the Cockatoo enclosure. Several Sulfur-Crested Cockatoos flocked to the group, greeting them.

"Hello ! How are ya ? Ha ha ha ha !" They kept repeating over and over.

Ahsoka was reminded of her meeting with Pete the African Grey, back at Paula's Pet Shop, in mid '84. "They are friendly, aren't they ?"

"They likely heard the talk of so many visitors and learned some words." Mina observed.

Once out of the Cockatoo enclosure, they moved on to the Reptile House. As expected, the enormous Green Anaconda was the first animal to be displayed. The twins couldn't believe its immense size. Ahsoka knelt over to them. "You remember Ms. Kayla, right ? She has one of these… as a pet !"

Padmé couldn't understand why Kayla would want to keep such an immense snake. Padmé had always been a sentimental child, so much that when she witnessed a rat getting struck by a rattlesnake, she stuck by her mother. "Mommy, why does Nature have to be so cruel ?! That poor little rat did nothing wrong to that snake !"

Mina patted her daughter on the back. "Snakes have to eat too, sweetie. Even if it means killing rats and mice. They do us a favor, as many of those rodents are riddled with disease anyways…"

Padmé did a double-take. "Really ?! I didn't know that."

"You'll learn more as time goes on, sweetie." Mina urged the group to keep going. They entered the Lizard section, just in time to witness a feeding of the Komodo Dragons.

"I remember those ! Me and Kayla saw these back in '84. Some months before you were even conceived, Mina." Ahsoka brought up.

Mina walked over to her mother. "Hey, I remember back in… '90. You brought me and Daniel here. It must have been one of my fondest memories as a child. That may be what really kickstarted my interest in animals."

"Ahh, so that's how you became so enamoured in them. Can't say I blame you, Mina. They _are_ fascinating."

They quickly passed the Turtles and went straight to the Crocodilians. Anakin was easily impressed when he saw the Saltwater Crocodile. "Woah ! Now _that_ is awesome !"

Ahsoka knelt to her grandson. "Sure, as long as you don't end up in its belly, huh ? They have killed humans before…"

Anakin stood at his grandmother's side, wide-eyed. "Huh ?! That thing eats PEOPLE ?! Guh ! Remind me never to get too close to one of those, then."

After they passed the Reptiles, they saw some Amphibians in the form of African Bullfrogs, Axolotl, Australian Toads and Fire-Bellied Salamanders.

When it came to fish, they entered the Aquarium. Anakin was hoping to see some live Great White Sharks in one of the tanks, but the most he saw were Blue Sharks and the odd-looking Australian Wobbegong Shark. They also were fortunate to see some Manta Rays, a group of Moray Eels and an Electric Eel, native to the Amazon River.

When it came to checking out the Insectarium, the twins were caught up by the incessant activity in the Leaf-Cutter Ant enclosure.

Padmé leaned over for a closer look. "They're so tiny, and yet they can carry a piece of leaf so bigger than themselves !"

Linda and Burt were quiet for most of the tour, but the former had voice her thoughts once they came across the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach displays. "Oh God, those are just disgusting ! Thank goodness we don't have big ones like those roaming around in the dirty apartments. I would scream if one walked over me."

"Well, given they're native to the Tropics, there's little chance that they can infest around here. The cold will eventually kill them." Ahsoka explained.

They stopped at the Goliath Bird-Eating Spider enclosure. Ahsoka leaned over for a closer look. "What a monster ! To think I kept one of these years back. And that was before I really knew how to care to for one. I'm surprised she lasted over a decade in my care. Goes to show how adaptable they can be."

Anakin pulled at Ahsoka's sleeve. "Grandma Soka, what about that blue one there ?" He pointed.

Ahsoka looked through the foliage in the enclosure and found the blue spider, sitting on the bark. "Oh, that's a _Poecilotheria metallica,_ the Gooty Sapphire Ornamental Tree or Parachute Spider. I've been meaning to raise one for some time, but I always found other kinds to buy instead."

Anakin was definitely impressed by his Grandmother's extensive knowledge. "You know so much, Grandma."

"Books are your friends, Ani. That's why your mother keeps insisting that you read more and more. Soak up the knowledge while it's available. It'll serve you later." She encouraged.

They finally ended their tour and gathered to the cantine where the twins recognized a familiar face. "Uncle Dan ! Uncle Dan ! Yay ! You came !" Padmé quickly ran to her uncle.

Daniel produced a couple of candies from his pockets. "Happy Birthday, you two ! I'm sure you enjoyed your present, huh ? I wanted to tour with you all, but work kept me tied up until now."

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Huh ? We didn't get any presents yet… Did we ?"

Mina knelt before her son, hugging him. "Well… this tour here and the dinner we're about to enjoy here. That's your birthday present, kids."

Suddenly, Anakin added everything up. "Oh… OH ! We're eating here… That means… we're having Hot Dogs or Hamburgers ? Yum !"

Travis quickly took over for the orders. "Ok, everybody. This one's on me. No Ifs, no Buts. Let's hear it."

Burt took a seat and quickly browsed the menu. "Burger with _everything_ on it. And a serving of fries and a Root Beer. Thanks, son."

Linda sat next to her husband. "I can't refuse a Chicken Caesar Salad when I see one. Just a water bottle will do."

Ahsoka licked her lips. "A Cheeseburger is always nice. Travis, can you see if they can add up an additional beef patty ? Ketchup and Mustard as condiments only. A Coke as always."

Lux kept things fairly simple. "A Burger is tempting, but I'll be perfectly pleased with a Club Sandwich. I'll have a Coke as well."

Mina was always conscious of her weight. "Just a plain Caesar Salad for me, Trav. And like Linda, I'll take a bottle of water."

Daniel looked over the menu in haste. "Oh ? They have Chili Dogs ? I gotta try that ! Load it up with Jalapenos and Habaneros, please ! Uh… I guess water will help to cool me down."

Travis had already made up his mind. "A Cheese Dog is what I'm taking this time around. Guess I'll go with a Root Beer." He turned to his children. "Ok, kids. What do you want ? Don't hold back, it's your birthday. You can have pretty much anything on the menu."

Anakin didn't need to think very hard. "A Hamburger with Ketchup, Mustard… and Pickles. Yeah, gotta have Pickles ! And Coke, please ?"

Padmé's stomach grumbled. "A Hot Dog with lots and lots of Ketchup, Daddy. And a water bottle."

Travis quickly ordered for everyone and paid the dinner. About 10 minutes later, everyone was enjoying their food. Mina turned to her brother, seeing the sweat trickle down his forehead and lekku. "Hot enough for ya, bro ?"

Daniel took another bite, full of strong peppers. "Wouldn't have it any other way, sis ! I take it you've tried this before ?"

"Sure did ! Tasty as heck, but you won't be feeling so well in a matter of hours. If you're not careful, you may develop stomach ulcers. Trust me, you don't want those."

Daniel scoffed at his sister. "Psh ! My stomach is made of cast iron. There's nothing I can't take !"

After the meals were done, everyone gathered at Mina and Travis' place. Mina pulled out a Chocolate Cake from the fridge, exciting more than one. After the twins blew out their candles and made their birthday wishes, everyone helped themselves with at least 2 servings. While they commemorated the twins' 8th Birthday, they also acknowledged Ahsoka's last day of work.

 **Ahsoka will adapt to her new lifestyle soon. Over the next chapter, both Mina and Ahsoka will get an unexpected surprise. Things will get quite interesting fast. Feel free to leave a review.**


	2. Surprises, Expected and Unexpected

**Thursday, May 21st**

Ahsoka slowly opened her eyes and rolled over to glance at the clock at the dresser. It was 6:00 am. She was about to get up out of habit, but her consciousness spoke to her. " _You're no longer working, Ahsoka. Not even Lux is up yet. Go back to sleep._ "

The next time Ahsoka woke from her rest, it was a bit past 8:30. With an audible groan, she stretched her arms and legs before rising out of bed. She made her way to the closet and reached for her favorite blue kimono. Once the belt was tied up around her waist, she made her way downstairs. Not too surprisingly, Lux was still in his pajamas, his hair messed up like every morning and was making himself some breakfast.

"Good morning, love." She called out, before yawning.

Lux quickly turned to face her. "Morning, 'Soka. So… you first real day of official retirement. How does it feel not to have to go to work ?"

She grabbed herself a cup and made herself a coffee. "I had to tell myself that I could sleep some more this morning. Did you notice when I woke up slightly around 6 ?"

"I have not." Lux replied, yawning at his turn. "Well… you'll soon appreciate this new personal freedom. Knowing you, you'll adjust much faster that I did. Instead of 6 months, I'd say that you'll kick off your old habits within a week, if that."

Ahsoka reached for the sugar container, only placing a little bit in her coffee, followed by a small pouring of milk. "We'll see. I'm not sure what I'll do today, but I'll figure something out by the time I'm showered and all."

Lux rummaged in the fridge for eggs and bacon. "Finally, we can enjoy a breakfast together over the weekdays. We haven't done so in so long."

Ahsoka looked into the pantry and took out 4 loaves of bread, placing 2 in the toaster. "It has been a while, yes. We had different working schedules, so we hardly had time to say "Hello" over the mornings. Wasn't yesterday grand ? The twins' smiles were so wide, their faces would break."

"I'll admit, Ahsoka, I enjoyed the tour. It was fun to see the grandchildren's reactions to the various animals. I'm convinced they appreciated the unusual Birthday present." Lux tossed the bacon into the frying pan and cracked an egg by their side.

She leaned over to smell the meats cooking. "Hmm… this smells terrific, Lux. You always manage to add just the right amount of salt and pepper on those eggs." She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him. "With both of us retired now, we'll have all the time we need for the kids, grandkids… and _ourselves_. I'm glad that I reached this part in my life. I can tell that I have years of enjoyment to look forward to."

"The important thing is to remain active. That's why it's critical to have a productive hobby. Spending a retirement just sitting on the couch, watching TV and drinking beer wouldn't suit us, right ?" Lux added.

She snorted a laugh. "Don't worry, I have no intention of spending my retirement like _that_. Life is way too short to waste our final years in such a boring and depressing way. Haven't you noticed that I watch less and less TV as of late ?"

Lux nodded. "I've noticed. I feel the same way. The programs just aren't as fun as they used to be. And don't get me started on the news. There's hardly ever anything positive anymore !"

She retrieved their first toasts and placed them on a small plate, with a slab of butter close by. "I know. There's always a tragedy happening somewhere in the world. If it's not a mass shooting by a crazed person, it's a natural disaster like last year's Hurricanes Irma and Jose that destroyed the Caribbean Isles, or the ever-looming threat of North Korea wanting to strike our country with nuclear missiles. What is the world coming to, Lux ?"

Lux didn't want to discuss about the possible wars, so he found a way to change the subject quickly. "Still no worse than the Clone Wars we've been in, right ? And to think that our trip to Jamaica last year was back in May. It's a good thing we went before hurricane season, 'Soka. We were quite fortunate to have great weather during our stay. And I don't think I've seen you drink so much rum during a vacation ?"

She swatted his arm. "Don't remind me ! I swear, if you bring another bottle of Appleton rum home, I'll demand that you return it back ! I drank so much of it that I can't even taste or smell it anymore. It disgusts me !"

Their eggs and bacon were slightly overcooked. They quietly ate their toasts at first and then went through their meats, sipping a bit of coffee every now and then.

By the time the dishes were done, Ahsoka was reminded of something important. "Now, it hits me, Lux ! I'll need to make a trip to Petco for some new enclosures. I'll spend most of the day setting them up for the new arrivals tomorrow."

A smirk escaped Lux's lips. "Humor me for a moment : What are you expecting… without spoiling too much ?"

"Little point in telling you the Latin names anyways, you won't have a clue what they are. I'm expecting one arboreal, one possible fossorial and one terrestrial. That should be it… unless Ken decided to toss in a surprise freebie…" She counted on her hand.

Lux glanced over at the backyard, making a mental note of several adjustments he'd need to do on several birdhouses. "It sounds like you have your next two days planned, 'Soka. I guess now's a good time as any to hit the shower before to get to work on those birdhouses."

"Go ahead, I'll take mine afterwards." She made herself a second cup of coffee.

As Lux went to work on his various birdhouses, Ahsoka drove to the nearest Petco store. Once she entered, she saw that employees of all ages were unpacking their latest shipment of animals and accessories. She made her way to the reptile section of the store, finding the items she needed. She took a quick look at the various animals in the section. Just some Ball Pythons, Corn Snakes, Leopard Geckos, a group of Asian Forest Scorpions. To her disappointment, no tarantulas. Not even a plain Rosehair.

Once she arrived at the cash register, a teenaged boy scanned her items. "Let's see here… One X-Tall Terrarium, two X-Large Faunariums, three Small Waterdishes, one Medium Reptile Cave… and 4 Medium bags of Plantation Soil. That comes around to… 215.95$. What's going in there ?"

Ahsoka answered as normally as it sounded to her. "There's a _Poecilotheria rufilata_ that I've been thinking of owning for so long, then there's a _Harpactira pulchripes_ , and finally a _Grammostola pulchra_."

The cashier scratched his head in complete confusion. "Can't say I know what those are… I've held a Desert Red Rump Tarantula once… It was pretty cool !"

Ahsoka scratched her montrals. "Eh ? That name doesn't ring a bell… Are you sure you don't mean the Desert Blonde instead ? Its Latin name is _Aphonopelma chalcodes_. I haven't had the pleasure of owning one yet, but I've heard they're pretty gentle."

The cashier's face reddened in embarrassment. "Yeah… That's probably it. You sound like a pro, Mam. How long have you been keeping them ?"

"Since 1984, young man. I guess I could be considered a professional keeper, huh ?" Ahsoka smiled gently. "Thanks for the quick chat, have a great rest of your day." She left off, carrying her supplies in a small shopping cart.

Over the course of the afternoon, Ahsoka set up the furnishings in the new enclosures. All that was left now was to await the new arrivals over the following morning. Ahsoka couldn't be more excited. Receiving new animals in the mail always felt like a small-scale Xmas.

Around dinner time, Mina had just arrived with Anakin and Padmé. While Travis was cooking their dinner, Mina shuffled through various envelopes she found in her mailbox.

"Bills, bills, bills, tax refunds, bills, bills…" She came upon a unexpected envelope. "Huh ? What's this ? The Price is Right ?! What ?!" She quickly tore open the envelope and read the letter quietly.

"Dear Mina Bonteri,

this letter is to confirm your spot in the audience for the show to air on Friday, June 1st. I look forward to meeting you and hope you get your chance to come up on stage and play a game or two ! Maybe even win the Showcase, huh ?

Best of luck !

Sincerely,

Drew Carey"

Mina's eyes bulged for a moment. "Oh my God ! Oh my God ! OH MY GOD ! Travis ! TRAVIS ! Come see this, quick !"

Travis ran over to his wife. "Sup, babe ? What has gotten you so excited ?"

"See for yourself." She handed him the letter.

Travis was equally shocked. "Holy Moley ! So you'll…" He called out to his children. "Ani, Pad, look at this ! Mom is going to be on TV soon !"

The kids looked at the letter. "Wow ! Mom gets to meet Drew Carey, that is so cool !"

"Should I call my folks and yours to tell them the news ?" Mina glanced over at the phone on the counter.

"Heck yeah, go for it ! Call yours, I'll call mine later." Travis cheered.

Mina quickly dialed her parents' number. A moment passed before Ahsoka answered. "Hello ?"

"Hey, Mom ! How are ya ?"

"Pretty good, I've just realized that I spent a whole morning and afternoon not working as I used to do. That is so strange. What's up ?"

"Ok… get ready for it, Mom. I'm going to be in the audience of The Price is Right, on Friday, June 1st. Who knows… Maybe I'll win cash, a brand new car and maybe even a trip to an exotic location !"

"Oh, Mina ! I am so happy for you, sweetie ! You can bet your father and I will tune in to see you on the show."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll see you, Dad and Dan over the weekend. Bye now."

"See you then, Mina. Bye."

When Travis called his parents, there was an equally pleasant reaction. Burt already offered to take care of Anakin and Padmé if the two went on a trip.

Mina was so giddy, she could barely hold herself. She dragged Travis into the master bedroom. "Kids, myself and your father need to talk for a moment, ok ?"

Once the door was closed, Mina sat on their bed, looking at Travis in his eyes. "If I win the Showcase, I'd like to bring along Mom, Dad and Dan if possible. This is how Mom's retirement should be celebrated. Objections, Trav ?"

Travis sat next to her, wrapping a loving arm around her. "No objections. Your Mom would love this. And… we could use a break from the kids. They can be a handful every now and then, you know ?"

Mina nodded. "Yep, I can attest to that. Thankfully, they've grown out of the temper tantrum age. I think they'll turn out fine. And besides, they _love_ to be with Burt and Linda, as much as when they see my folks. Your parents will see that they'll be well taken care of, so we can all take our vacation with an anxious-less mind."

They stepped out of the master bedroom and returned to the kitchen area. "Thanks for waiting for us, kids. Dinner will be ready soon."

As Anakin and Padmé waited patiently for their dinner, they weren't going to be disappointed. They had macaroni and cheese, one of their favorite "treat" dishes.

 **Friday, May 22** **nd**

Ahsoka was pacing around the living room incessantly, occasionally peeking through the curtains. " _It's almost 11, where is that delivery truck ?! This is the part I hate the most about ordering something online. Waiting for the delivery seems to take forever !_ "

Her montrals picked up the familiar motor sound of the truck in question. Looking through the curtains, the delivery man was coming towards the door, holding a large box in his arms.

Once the doorbell rang, Snootles the Mini Schnauzer barked up a storm. Ahsoka had to hold him in her arms. "Ok, boy. Calm down, it's just the delivery guy."

"Morning, Miss. Here's a package for you, coming all the way from Tucson, Arizona. If you'll sign right here." He offered an electronic pad with a stylus.

"With pleasure." She quickly signed her name, then took the package in one arm.

Once the delivery man left, Ahsoka quickly brought Snootles to Mina's old room. "Sorry, buddy. You'll be safer if I you stay here. Just in case something goes wrong…"

The moment she closed the door, Snootles voiced his displeasure by barking and howling loudly. His incessant barking brought Lux from his concentration. He entered and saw Ahsoka on her knees in the living room, about to open a large carton box. "I take it your new "friends" have arrived ?"

"Yup. Do you want to hand me the knife I usually use to open these, please ?"

Lux came back from the kitchen, knife in hand. "Here you are."

"Thank you." She began by cutting the tape in the middle section of the top, then she cut the sides, allowing the box to be freely opened. "Let's see here… Styrofoam… lots and lots of used newspaper to sift through… There's my invoice." She set it aside. "And here we are… One, two, three… four… FOUR ?! Huh ? He didn't send me a sling as a freebie ? Whaaaaat ?" She set the delicups, all carefully wrapped in tape, side by side.

Lux glanced at the writing on each. "What do these mean ? P. ruf, H. pul, G. pul… LP ?"

She took the first one. "This, is a 3" sexed female _Poecilotheria rufilata_ , the Redslate Ornamental. If I'm not mistaken, they're native to India, in the Southern region of the Western Ghats." She opened up her X-Tall Terrarium she purchased the day before.

She pulled the tape gently until she could easily pull the lid. "Here we are ! Hello, _beautiful_! Aren't you happy to be out of this cup ?"

The spider slowly crawled out… then made a break for it. "Catch cup ! CATCH CUP ! Where's the kriffing catch cup when I need it ?!"

Lux nervously looked on her shelf. "This, here ?" He handed her a large clear container.

Ahsoka looked around her. "Where did she… I see her ! On the wall ! Let me get my paintbrush…"

She brushed the fourth left leg, causing the spider to bolt upwards. "Oh, come on ! Are you kidding me ?! Get back here !"

Ahsoka grabbed a chair and stood as high as possible, holding the catch up in one hand and the paintbrush in the other. "Easy… easy… Gotcha !" She turned over to Lux. "Hand me the lid please ?"

In a very tense moment, she managed to get the spider to run inside the catch cup, allowing her to put the lid on, blocking further chances of escape. "Phew ! I can already tell this one will be lively !"

Once back on the ground, she placed the catch cup right next to the new enclosure. She took a deep breath before opening the lid. "Here goes !" Thankfully, the spider bolted right into its cage, to sit on a slab of cork bark. Quickly shutting the doors of the terrarium, she immediately locked it. "Ok, that was… _interesting_. Next, let's get that _H. pulchripes_ out of there."

"What about that one ?" Lux inquired.

"Its common name is the Golden Blue-Legged Baboon Spider. They're native to South Africa. Hopefully, this one won't give me trouble like the last one." She opened the lid. To her surprise, the spider was already in full threat posture. "For a 2" sexed female, she's already looking to be feisty."

The moment Ahsoka tapped its fourth leg with the paintbrush, the spider whirled around and slapped it. "Ok… so you're gonna be like that, huh ? Fine. I'll just put your container in the cage and let you crawl out of your own. Please don't bite me, please don't bite me, please don't bite me…" Once the delicup was placed into the enclosure, Ahsoka quickly placed the top and made sure it was clamped. "There, you can make your silken burrows whenever you decide to stop having a hissy fit !"

"That one now ?" Lux pointed at the 3rd delicup.

Ahsoka looked at the label and breathed a sigh of relief. " _G. pulchra_ , the Brazilian Black. Often called "The Black Labrador" of the tarantula world. Docile and beautiful. This one shouldn't give me issues." She removed the lid. "Hi, sweetie. How are you ? Do you want to come out ? Come on." She touched the legs with her paintbrush, the spider slowly crawled out of the cup and strode right into her cage. "Now, there's a well-mannered lady ! 1.5" sexed female and already showing some adult coloration."

Once the lid was placed, Ahsoka looked over the last delicup. "Now for the wildcard… My guess tells me that I've been given a _Lasiodora parahybana_ , the Salmon Pink Birdeater. Not the most colorful animal, they do reach a 9" legspan however." She opened the lid. "Oohhh… It's a lot bigger than I expected ! Must be at least 5" already !" Then it dawned on her that she doesn't have a cage ready. "Oh, boy… Lux, do we still have Shelob's old cage up in the attic ? Can you go have a look, please ?"

"I'll be back in a moment, 'Soka. That thing won't run off like crazy, right ?"

She shook her head. "Not that I've read. They can be a tad skittish, but not too bad. I hope."

Minutes later, Lux arrived with the old cage. "You'll need to clean this up before you put it in there, don't you think ?"

"Of course… I must have an empty container somewhere that I can put it temporarily." She searched around and found a large flat plastic container. "This'll do for now. I won't bother putting substrate or a hide. Just a water dish so it can drink."

She placed the delicup inside the plastic container. "Maybe I can coax it out of there…" She used her paintbrush to guide the spider out. Just when she was done, Ahsoka was "thanked" by receiving a face-full of urticating hairs. Many stuck to her lekku. Her reaction was instantaneous. She quickly placed the lid before doing anything else. "Argh ! Ahhh ! AHHH ! I've been haired ! I've been haired ! I'VE BEEN HAIRED ! Son of a- ! Lux, get me to the shower, quick !"

Lux rushed her to the bathroom and opened the shower door. "You're going in with your clothes on ?"

"I don't have time to undress, Lux ! The irritation is unbearable ! Now I know how a mouse or a lizard feels like when they press their luck against one in the wild !"

Minutes later, Ahsoka stepped out, completely soaked, but free of discomfort. "Thank the Force we acted right away ! It would have gotten worse with time !"

"You know… if you were in a wet T-shirt contest, I'd give you a 10 out of 10." Lux joked.

Ahsoka merely rolled her eyes at his joke. "They get lamer and lamer, you know ?"

Lux snickered. "I thought it was funny !"

"Typical." Ahsoka soon rushed to her room for a change of fresh clothes.

 **So now, Ahsoka has some new charges to look after. Some more unpleasant than others. And Mina learning about her future appearance on the Game Show was fun. Over the next chapter, Mina will luck out in being chosen as a contestant. Will she be able to win big or will she return home empty-handed ? If anything, we've got some interesting times ahead. Have I being overboard in displaying my love for the tarantula keeping hobby ? While I've been keeping them for over 8 years now, I still don't feel comfortable to work with a Poecilotheria, or a "Pokie", as they're lovingly referred to by experienced hobbyists, yet. Eventually, I'll get there. There's no rush, I have plenty of time to make my way up to the more challenging species. I hope some of you enjoyed it still. Feel free to leave a review.**


	3. Mina Wins Big !

**Sunday, May 24th**

Mina slowly opened her yes, allowing her vision to stabilize itself. She swallowed and tasted something awful : Smoke and soiled earth ? She looked around and noticed that she was in her old bed, back at her parents' place. Removing the covers, she noticed that she didn't even change in her pajamas for sleep.

" _Ohhh… Head hurts… What is that taste in my throat ? Ugh… Now it's slowly coming back to me… Dad offered me a glass of Scotch after dinner… It would seem that I've taken more than one to end up in bed and didn't bother to change…_ " She slowly rose up and stumbled out of bed. " _Definitely overdid it… This hangover is killing me… How much did I drink last night ? I'm not sure I want to know._ " She slowly made her way to the bathroom, bumping into the walls a couple of times. By the time she relieved herself, Mina was feeling very dehydrated. " _I didn't throw up… So I guess I didn't booze it up too badly… Ok, down the stairs. One step at a time… Ooohhh…_ "

As Mina arrived in the living room, Lux was sitting on his reclining chair and enjoying a coffee. He checked his wristwatch. "Hmm… 10:37 am. You've been out for a good while. How do you feel ?"

Mina wasn't in the mood to be scolded, like when she was a child. "I've had better mornings, Dad. Guess that Scotch knocked me out last night, huh ?"

Lux couldn't help but be amused at his daughter's predicament. "Let's see… You've had a glass of Auchentoshan Three Wood, a glass of Bowmore Darkest and a glass of Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Even after those three heavily peaty and smoky Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, you managed to go through half of my Peat Monster Blended Scotch before you decided you had enough. I don't think I've ever seen you so drunk like that. You can definitely hold your liquor, I'm impressed ! After 3 or 4 glasses of Peat Monster, you were no longer capable to speak coherently or even walk in a straight line. I had to escort you to bed. Moments after I tucked you in, you pretty much passed out."

Mina stumbled to the kitchen counter for a glass of water, then sat next to her father on the family sofa. "I drank all of that before passing out ?! Yikes ! I'll definitely need to be more careful in the future. And I drank through half of that Peat Monster bottle ? Oops ! Do you want me to buy you another one ? You should have tried to stop me, Dad."

Lux's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "Truth be told, I wasn't any better, Mina. We had been at it for a good 4-5 hours just chatting about anything and sipping our Scotch every now and then. I didn't join you when you chose to open The Peat Monster, so that explains why I was still ok… despite being slightly drunk."

"So… aside me getting intoxicated by the end of the night, we had a good time, right ?"

Lux nodded. "I can't remember when I spent an entire evening just with you, Mina. It's been difficult since you married Travis. You also have the twins to look after, so we can't always be in touch."

Ahsoka stepped out of the bathroom, in her usual kimono. "You're awake ? I'm surprised you didn't fall into a coma after all that you drank last night. That was very irresponsible of you, Mina !"

Mina groaned. "Oh, come on, Mom ! Give me a kriffing break ! I'm 32 years old, I believe I'm old enough to know what I'm doing ! I recall that you occasionally got wasted pretty bad when you were younger. Remember the time we went for a pub crawl when I turned 21 ? It's not like I do this everyday ! I haven't got wasted like this since I was back at university, you know ?"

Ahsoka crossed her arms, raising an eye marking. "I remember that quite well, Mina. You went with the boys at a bar and you decided to join in a drinking contest. I could tell you drank Jack Daniels because your breath stunk horribly ! I was so angry at you, seeing you stumble home at 3 in the morning ! The only good thing out of that stunt is you were smart enough to get a cab to bring you home." She gradually loosened up. "Be careful, ok ? Show the example to your children. Don't drink yourself stupid with them around, please ?"

Mina stood up and went back for a second glass of water. "Mom, you're such a Mother Hen ! You have nothing to worry about. I knew that I wasn't going back home regardless, so I allowed myself to "decompress" a bit more than usual."

Daniel came down, showered and clothed. "Morning, all." He faced his sister. "How did you manage to drink all that stuff last night ? It's just so nasty ! I'll stick to my Rum, thank you very much… and in moderation." He stuck out his tongue to her.

Mina's head was still pounding. "Sure, rub it in, bro ! I think I'll get myself a couple of Tylenols." She peered into the fridge. "I, for one, am starving ! What have we got for breakfast ?"

Lux rose up from his chair. "Myself and your mother have had breakfast already. So I guess you and Daniel can make yourselves… something ?"

Mina glanced at her brother. "Dan… anything comes to mind ?"

Daniel reached for several items in the cupboard and searched Ahsoka's personal cooking recipes for something in particular. "Just a sec, sis. I don't think Mom made those while you were still celibate. Here we are : Oatmeal Pancakes."

He looked at the various items needed.

1 Cup and ½ of Milk

1 Cup of oatmeal

Let them soak for 5 minutes

Add

2 Teaspoons of Cold-Pressed Oil

2 Beaten Eggs

Stir Well

Mix

½ Cup of Flour (If white flour, add ¼ Cup more)

1 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder

¼ Teaspoon of Salt

Mix and add to Liquid Mix

Pour onto frying pan, allow 2-3 minutes to cook properly. Turn over during halftime of cooking. Serve with fruits, butter or maple syrup.

"Just a sec, sis. Sit back, sip a coffee and let your brother do something for you for a change." Daniel followed the recipe to the letter. 10 minutes later, both were enjoying some Oatmeal Pancakes with maple syrup.

Mina definitely enjoyed her brother's cooking. "Mmm. Have you inherited Dad's love of food too ? You could have made a good cook, you know !"

"Me ? A Cook ? Hah ! Don't have the patience for that, sis ! This is something I do once in every 3-4 months. Helps amazingly to lessen a hangover, I can say that much. You've tried the Kraken Spiced Rum, right ? Once, I let myself have several glasses too many. These pancakes helped to absorb the alcohol in my system nicely."

Mina wolfed down the pancakes like they were nothing. "Keep 'em coming, bro ! These are fantastic ! Anakin and Padmé would love these, not to mention Travis !"

Daniel handed his sister the recipe sheet. "Mom got this from a neighbor a couple of years ago. She doesn't make them often, feel free to copy the recipe."

Mina quickly grabbed for her phone and emailed the recipe to her inbox. "I'll make this for the kids on next Saturday."

Once they were done eating, brother and sister worked together to clean up after themselves. Ahsoka, on her end, made a beeline to her animals.

She was surprised to see her new Redslate Ornamental out in the open. "How about that ? Somebody must be hungry." She opened the cupboard beneath the cages, retrieving a large plastic bin, loaded with egg crates.

Mina quickly glanced inside and noticed movement between the crates. "Do I really want to know what's in there ?"

" _Blaptica dubia,_ the Orange-Spotted Cockroach. They're highly nutritious and a breeze to maintain and breed." Ahsoka reached for her feeding tongs, probing into the roach bin. "Here we are ! This nice, fat female ought to do the job." Opening the doors to the Ornamental's enclosure, she brought the cockroach inches from the spider, holding it by the rear end of the abdomen. The constant struggling of the cockroach was enough to prompt the spider to grab herself an easy lunch. An audible crunch was heard, signaling that the cockroach was good as done. Once the Redslate Ornamental was fed, she moved on to the rest of her collection, offering prey in relation to the predator's size. The smaller ones such as the Brazilian Black and the Orchid Mantis were offered smaller-sized nymphs, basically cockroach babies.

Mina had watched the show, despite being somewhat creeped out by so many roaches crawling about in that bin. "What do you do with all that excess, Mom ?"

"Well, right now, the best I can do is offer several to my "Garbage Disposals" once a week." She pointed to her new Salmon Pink Birdeater and her Giant Whiteknee, which were particularly ravenous. "Eventually, I do plan on branching out to Reptiles… if only slightly. I hear Bearded Dragons are a joy to keep for the most part. They could help out in keeping my roach population from exploding out of control."

Mina raised an eye marking. "What happened to crickets and superworms ?"

"Crickets stink terribly and a are a pain in the rear to fish out of an enclosure. Superworms are too fatty and those chompers can seriously injure an animal, plus they burrow so quickly into the substrate that most of the ambush predators just miss them." Ahsoka explained.

"That's quite a hobby you have there, Mom ! But I'm glad you stuck with it over the years. It made me appreciate even the smallest of spiders, never the need to fear them, but understanding and respecting their place in Nature."

"I'm glad that you see things the same way I do, Mina. Some people just have an irrational fear of them, I wonder what causes it ?" Ahsoka reached for one of her older books, looking for a segment on Arachnophobia. "Well, we have Hollywood and the Middle Ages's various superstitions to thank for that. Such as the well-known Tarantella Dance, which was supposed to cure the effects of a bite from the "true" Tarantula, a large European Wolf Spider, scientifically known as _Lycosa tarantula_. Complete utter nonsense !"

Over the course of the afternoon, Mina had recovered from her hangover well enough, that she was capable to drive back home. Travis and the kids didn't need to know about her lack of self-control over the previous night.

 **Friday, June 1** **st**

The big day had finally come. Having taken a paid flight to Hollywood, California, Mina was brought over to the studio where The Price Is Right was taped. She was given a blue shirt to wear and had a nametag attached to her. In minutes, the show would begin.

The music cued and the announcer began to call out the first group of contestants as the entire audience cheered. To Mina's initial shock, she wasn't chosen this time around.

"Brad Martin, come on down ! Lina Silveira, come on down ! Amanda Blake, come on down ! Stephen Dawson, come on down ! You're the next contestants on… The Price Is Right ! And here's your host… Drew Carey !"

Drew seemed always pleased to meet new crowds. "Hey everyone, welcome to the show ! How are you all doing ?" He glanced at the announcer. "So, what are we starting off with, George ?"

The announcer checked his cue cards. "Well, Drew, how about this brand new Nespresso Coffee Brewer ? Featuring 8 beverage selections, taking 3 seconds to heat up and also has the Nespresso 19 Bar Pressure System. You probably won't get a better brewer if Espresso is your thing. You can have it and more… if The Price Is Right !"

Drew got the ball rolling. "All right, folks, what do you think ?"

Brad was the first to give his thoughts. "500 !"

Drew looked at the actual price. "500 ? Great !" He turned to the next contestant. "Lina ?"

Lina chose to go higher. "550 !"

Amanda was the closest "795 !"

Stephen went way over. "1500 !"

Drew checked the price again. "Actual retail price is… 799.95 $ ! Amanda, come on up !"

Amanda rushed over to Drew, hugging him, then faced the audience, screaming and jumping around.

Mina made a mental note. " _If I end up there with Drew, I won't act the fool like so many people !_ "

Drew quickly regained control of his overexcited player. "Ok, Amanda, we'll be playing a game, but first… we'll show what you'll get if you win." Drew turned to his announcer. "George, if you please ?"

"Certainly, Drew ! Amanda, how about a brand new Laptop Computer ? This new model by Hewlett Packard has Windows 10 installed, an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 Processor, 8GB of Memory, 256 GB of Storage, last but not least, a NVIDIA GeForce Graphics Card. All the fixings for browsing online, but also high-quality gaming ! It can be yours and more… if The Price Is Right !"

Drew brought Amanda to three small tables. "Ok, Amanda, we'll play a game called Easy as 1, 2, 3. You'll be given 3 blocks with numbers on them. What you need to do is to place each number on what you think is the least expensive item to the most expensive. If you get it right, you win all 3 items. If you don't, well… at least you'll still walk away with that Coffee Brewer. George, what are the items ?"

"Well, Drew, first up we've got a bottle of Shampoo by L'Oréal, a high-quality product to maintain good looking hair. Next, we have a bottle of Dawn Ultra Antibacterial Dishwashing Liquid, it cuts through the toughest of stains and kills any bacteria that could be present. Last, but certainly not least, we have a bottle of Oxi Clean Liquid Gel, the best detergent to clean soiled clothes and you have enough to last you 40 loads. You can have all of these… if The Price Is Right !"

Drew readied his contestant. "Ok, Amanda, you've 30 seconds to place the numbered blocks going from what you think is the least expensive to the most expensive… GO !"

Amanda rushed to the tables, hesitating to place the blocks and listening to the audience. In the end, she placed the "1" on the Dishwashing Liquid, the "2" on the Shampoo and the "3" on the Laundry Detergent.

A buzzer sounded. "Ok, time's up ! Let's see how you did, Amanda !" Drew walked over to the tables. "Ok… the bottle of Dawn come up to… 13.99 ! The Shampoo is… 8.99 ! The Laundry Detergent is 15.99 !" The "fail" music cued. "Oh, Amanda, I am so sorry ! You were so close !" He shook her hands. "Thanks for coming up !" He looked over to the audience and the cameras. "Don't go away, we'll be right back after these commercials !"

2 minutes later, Drew came back from a short break. "Ok, George, we need someone to fill Amanda's place."

The announcer checked some specific notes. "Ok, let's pick from our New York crowd ! Mina Bonteri, come on down ! You're the next contestant on… The Price Is Right !"

Back at the Bonteri home, the two parents had their eyes glued to the TV. Ahsoka was in shock at Mina's luck. "She got picked ! She got picked ! This is wonderful, Lux !"

Lux chuckled softly. "I knew she'd be picked, 'Soka."

She turned to him. "You have the gift of foresight now ?"

"No. I pulled a few strings to ensure she'd be picked !"

She swatted his arm. "Lux ! You didn't - !"

He nodded a few times. "I did ! I had phone conversation with Drew while you were away. I knew Mina had applied to be in the audience, so I wanted to make sure that she had her moment of fame on TV."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You certainly convinced him. It's all up to her now. How do you think she'll do ?"

Lux scoffed. "Why are you even asking, 'Soka ? With her above-average IQ, she'll clean everything up !"

Mina quickly made her way down the aisle to join up with the other contestants. Brad had trouble keeping his eyes off her. " _What a fine looking woman ! She must be married._ "

Drew turned back to the announcer. "What have we got this time, George ?"

"Well, Drew, how about a full Gazebo set ? This particular set only needs to be installed once as it's made to be used during all 4 seasons ! Tables and chairs plus a couch are included. This and so much more can be yours… if The Price Is Right !"

Brad gave his bid immediately. "2000 !"

Lina upped the ante. "2001 !"

Mina, being an accountant, had a real clue of how much it was actually worth. "4000 !"

Stephen once again went overboard. "8000 !"

Drew checked the price. "Actual retail price is… 4090 $! Mina ! Come on over !"

Mina quickly walked up the steps and hugged Drew. Instead of making a fool of herself, she stood by Drew as she anticipated a very awkward conversation. "Welcome, Mina ! How are you ? That has to be the most original hairstyle I've ever seen ! It seems to be a lot of work !"

Mina played along. "Yes, I call it the "Headtail"." She winked at the camera, intended for Ahsoka who was watching.

"So, you guessed the price real nicely. What do you for a living ?"

Mina took the opportunity to talk about her business. "I'm an accountant. Myself and my husband Travis run Blank and Bonteri Accounting. We're located in Wall Street, not too far from the New York Stock Exchange offices. We've been running the business since 2013 and we've recently had our 2000th client. We do accounting for anyone, we enjoy working with people and we strive to make things as easy as possible when it comes to handling tax refunds and such."

Drew was definitely impressed. "Ha ha ha ! Odds are you'll be winning a lot here then ! You've likely seen all kinds of receipts in all amounts. George, what do we got for her ?"

The announcer was obviously excited. "Mina, why not go to work… in YOUR BRAND NEW CAR ? The new 2018 Chrysler Pacifica allows up to 7 passengers, has a 9-speed automatic transmission and is also economical on the gas as it takes only 12.4 L per 62, 1371 miles in the city and 8.4 L on the highway. You'll be riding in style… if The Price Is Right !"

Drew brought Mina over a table with a number of numbered cards. "Ok, Mina, what you need to do is to guess every single number so that matches the actual price. It's a total of 5 numbers, so I'll give you a minute to work on it, ok ?"

She nodded. "Sure ! I'm ready anytime, Drew !"

Drew let her get to work. "Ready… Set… GO !"

Mina chose several cards and placed them in a certain order. " _No matter what the audience are shouting, I have to go with my gut feeling._ "

Once the buzzer sounded, Drew stood next to Mina. "So you think it's worth exactly 56,595 $ ? Let's find out…" Drew opened an envelope. "I don't believe this… You're… absolutely correct ! Congratulations, Mina !"

Instead of running around and shouting like an idiot, Mina merely pumped a fist for her victory. "I had a feeling it was worth that much !"

At the Blank residence, Burt, Linda, Travis, Anakin and Padmé were all cheering for Mina's prize. Travis was even more excited than his children. "Woo hoo ! We've got a brand spanking new car ! Ha ha ha ! Wooooooo !"

Drew was still in shock from Mina's luck. "Ok… We'll see you again when we spin "The Big Wheel". Congratulations again !" Drew shook her hand.

Several games later, Mina, Brad and a new contestant named Adam were given the chance to spin the wheel. Mina went first. Drew explained the rules. "Ok, Mina. When you spin the wheel, the objective is to try to get 1$ or as high as possible to advance to the Showcase Showdown. You get 2 tries. Ready ?"

"I was born ready !" Mina boasted. She gripped the edge of the wheel. "Anyone want to give a shout out to ?"

Once the wheel began to spin, Mina faced the camera. "Hi to Mom, Dad, Dan, Burt, Linda, Kayla and Travis. Hey Ani, Pad, Mom's winning big on TV !" Mina waved to the camera.

The wheel stopped exactly at 1$. Drew shook his head. "Today really seems to be your lucky day, Mina ! Do you want to spin the wheel again ?"

Mina nodded. "Yes, I want to see if I'll be lucky again." Once again, the wheel stopped conveniently at 1$.

Drew was completely dumfounded. "Incredible ! This is the third time since the show's beginning back in 1972 that a contestant hits 1$ twice ! I'll be seeing you at the Showcase Showdown in a moment."

Brad was her opponent since he scored 95 cents with his two spins. Adam only got 60 cents and was removed from the Showcase Showdown.

When the Showcase Showdown began, Brad had the chance to win an ATV. Mina was hoping for something truly amazing.

The announcer looked at his cue cards. "Mina, how about a trip for 5 to… the Maasai Mara Wildlife Reserve in Kenya, Africa ? Housing will be provided by the Mara Engai Wildlife Lodge, which has spacious rooms with comfortable King-sized beds, fine dining experience using local produce and farm-raised animals. Guided tours occur every day and you and 4 other people will get to view the spectacle of Nature… if The Price Is Right !"

" _I've got to win this ! This is the perfect way to commemorate Mom's recent retirement !_ " Mina calculated in her head. "I'd say this would be worth around 49,500 $, Drew !"

Drew opened the envelope, containing the retail price of it all. "Ha ha ha ha ha ! You have got to be the luckiest contestant ever. Are you ready ? Actual retail price for the trip is… 49,900 $!"

This time, Mina couldn't help herself from jumping and shouting. "Oh my God ! Oh my God ! OH MY GOD ! AHHH ! AHHH ! AHHH ! I've won ! I've won ! I'VE WON !" She ended up standing on her knees, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.

Back at the Bonteri residence, Lux's jaw dropped. "Unbelievable ! She won _everything_!"

Ahsoka had to reach for a tissue. "My little girl ! I'm so proud !" She hugged Lux. "Never had I thought that we'd be living such a great life out here, Lux ! Never ! I always expected to die during the Clone Wars ! I guess I was meant to enter those random coordinates all those years ago !"

Lux responded by kissing his wife. "It's been quite a journey, 'Soka. It was worth it. I'm glad to have met you back on Raxus. I must be the luckiest man in the Universe."

At the Blank residence, Travis was so excited that he began to hyperventilate. "Way to go, baby ! We'll celebrate in style when you get back !"

Everyone waited with much impatience for Mina's return. There was much to be joyful and to celebrate.

 **Mina won the Jackpot ! Did any of you expect less from her ? Mina's experience as an accountant paid off in a big way to guess the prices. Over the next chapter, we'll cover the voyage to Africa. Expect many hilarious situations. Feel free to leave a review.**


	4. The Bonteris arrive at Maasai Mara

**Thursday, July 5th**

The long awaited day finally came. Lux, Ahsoka, Mina, Daniel and Travis were finishing up their luggage before they would head out to the New York John F. Kennedy Airport. Mina and Travis placed Anakin and Padmé in Burt and Linda's very capable hands. The children were disappointed that they weren't coming along, but once Mina promised she'd bring back a few souvenirs for them, they returned to their well-behaved selves.

The best they could get was an indirect flight from New York to Nairobi, which would take between 16 and 22 hours. They booked a VIP flight with Virgin Atlantic Airways, which seemed to be the fastest flight of them all.

As Daniel brought a heavy suitcase, Ahsoka finally noticed his choice of T-shirt. It was written "Who Farted ?" in bold, colorful letters.

If anything, Ahsoka didn't want his silly antics to embarrass them in public. "Oh no, you are not wearing that shirt, young man ! Go and choose something else !"

Daniel stared back at his mother. "Seriously ? Ok, be right back !" He ran up to his room, minutes later, he came back down. "How's this ?" It was written "Gimme Head Till I'm Dead !" in the same style of bold letters.

Ahsoka face-palmed. "Even less ! Nooooo ! Can't you wear a "normal" shirt like all of us ?"

"You're no fun !" Daniel pouted. He walked back dejectedly to his room. He came back with just a plain grey T-shirt with nothing written on it.

Mina tilted to her brother. "I know I've seen those shirts before, but I can't place my finger where…"

"It was two of the shirts that "Booger" wore in the Revenge of the Nerds 2 movie." Daniel calmly explained.

Mina chuckled a bit. "Oh yeah, now I remember ! His choice of words made many moments pretty funny… despite being kind of a slob."

Ahsoka peeked out the window. "Everybody ready ? Our ride is here !"

Everyone gathered outside as Burt arrived in his Minivan to pick the group up. "Hurry up, you loons ! Your flight takes off in two hours. Through the intense traffic, you'll make it just in the nick of time !"

Once all the luggage was loaded and everyone was on board, Burt drove with great haste between the traffic lines, sometimes swerving between other vehicles to speed things up.

Lux looked away as Burt had passed many cars way, way too close. "It's a good thing he knows the city like the back of his hand. No way would I attempt to drive so recklessly !"

A true speed record, the group were dropped off at the entrance of the airport after an hour of intense driving. Burt waved everyone goodbye. "Enjoy yourselves, huh ? And don't worry about the grandkids, the cat or the dog, they're all in very good hands !"

Ahsoka felt a load off her shoulders. " _Thank the Force that Burt and Linda agreed to take care of Aayla and Snootles while we're away ! I've fed and watered my invertebrates well enough, so they should be fine for a week and a half. The first thing I'll do when I board the plane is order myself a nice glass of Champagne. Yes, I deserve this opportunity to relax completely._ "

It took about half an hour to process their flight tickets and luggage. 15 minutes before takeoff, they finally boarded the plane. The Stewardess lead the group to plain looking chairs.

Daniel wanted the special treatment they were promised. "Wait a sec ! We're VIPs ! Very Immense Penises !"

Lux, Ahsoka, Mina and Travis all stared at each-other. Ahsoka blinked and slapped her montrals. "Did he really say that ?!" She chose to disown him temporarily. "I have no idea who this person is ! Never flown with him before !"

To their surprise, the Stewardess caught on to Daniel's ill-timed gag. "Nice try, "Booger" ! The VIP seats are over here ! And don't worry, you're not getting any Muff or Hair Pies !"

Daniel's lekku stripes went to their darkest in seconds. "Ohhh… I got burned BAD !"

Several of the passengers caught on to the references and roared in laughter, applauding the two, thinking it was a set-up comedy sketch.

As they sat, Ahsoka glared at her son, a deep frown on her face. " _You better not say any more nonsense like that ! You're fortunate everyone took it as a joke !_ "

Daniel was about to blurt out something else, but Mina placed a hand on his mouth. "You have a brain like all of us, right ? I'd suggest that you think a bit before you talk for the remainder of this trip."

As the ship began to take off, everyone had their seatbelt buckled. 20 minutes later, they were airborne and service for drinks and food began. The Stewardess passed by Daniel, tossing a bag of chips and a can of Coke at him. Still embarrassed by his earlier stunt, he simply nodded at her. "Thanks for the snack !"

While Ahsoka had been given a glass of Champagne, Lux opted for Gin & Tonic. Mina and Travis shared a small bottle of red wine with a small bag of BBQ peanuts.

Several hours later, they were offered dinner. It was a piece of roast chicken, with potatoes and peas on the side, along with a rich gravy. As per usual, Ahsoka passed her share of vegetables to Lux. After dinner, she chose to relax by listening to her music. Being on a plane, she had to listen to it all at a very low volume, making the overall experience less exciting. Lux, on his end, did his best to sleep during the flight.

Mina reached into her purse and took out a book to pass the time. Travis just focused on watching at the clouds since he sat right next to the window. Daniel, on his end, was bored out of his skull since he didn't bring along any distractions. He tried to get some sleep, but being next to his sister made it impossible, despite that she was completely caught up in her book. The occasional turbulence during the flight didn't help either.

 **Friday, July 6** **th**

After a long flight of 22 hours, the group finally arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Once they boarded off the plane and gathered their luggage, they could tell they weren't in the US anymore. Strange, unheard dialects were spoken all around them, and not too surprisingly, an overwhelming majority of the people at the airport were Black. Some more darker than others.

Ahsoka definitely stood out like a sore thumb with her bright orange skin. Some glanced at the group in curiosity, but none paid too much attention as they tried to figure out where the exit was.

Lux just stopped everyone. "Before we go any further, let's look for signs. Assuming someone was charged to pick us up, they'll probably be holding an English sign with our family name on it."

Mina caught sight of what they were looking for. "Like that guy standing over there ?" She pointed. "It looks like our name."

As they approached the man, they could see the sign more clearly. Bonteri was definitely written on it. The man seemed to be in his 50s, smiling incessantly, having a white beard around his face.

Lux began the chatter. "Um, hello ? You're here to pick us up, are you ? We are the Bonteris. I'm Lux, this is my wife Ahsoka, my son Daniel. There is my daughter Mina, and her husband Travis."

The man seemed overly excited. "You are the Bonteris ? How nice to meet you all ! My name is Raoul Maboula ! I was asked to bring you to the Mara Engai Wildlife Lodge. Please, follow me."

As they exited the airport, the first thing everyone noticed was the change in temperature. It was much warmer out here than in New York. Raoul brought them to his truck, a Pinzgauer All-Terrain Vehicle. Once the luggage was loaded up in the rear compartment, they began their trek towards the lodge.

"We had no idea who to expect, so they sent me to look out for you. Many of the tourists prefer myself over the other Safari guides as I am the most fluent in English. I learned a lot of it while watching many movies from USA." Raoul explained.

Given the time 8 hour time difference between the US and Kenya, it was already nighttime when they drove into a deserted road. Everyone looked around, hoping to see some form of wildlife during their first ride.

It was quite dark, which unnerved Ahsoka a bit. "You know, I'm almost expecting some Werelions out here… Gives me the creeps !"

Lux raised an eyebrow. "Werelion ? WERELION ?"

Raoul decided to have a bit of fun with his charges. "There, Lion !" He pointed to the left. "There, Hyena !" He pointed to the right. "There, Lodge !" He pointed to the front.

Lux blinked in confusion. "Why are you talking that way ?"

Raoul looked innocently at Lux. "I thought you wanted to."

Lux shook his head. "No, I don't want to."

Raoul grinned at him. "Suit yourself, I'm easy !"

Mina giggled from her seat at the back. "Ha ha ha ! I know that scene… Mr. Maboula, not a word, please. Anyone else know ?"

Travis scratched his head. "My mind draws a blank." He turned to Daniel. "Any idea, Dan ?"

Daniel looked so lost. "Not a clue, Trav !"

Raoul chuckled from his seat. "Come now, my friends. It is from Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein."

Ahsoka face-palmed. "How did I miss that ? We have the DVD at home. Heh… Frau Blucher, the Candle bit, Abby Normal… Igor's hump, his eyes… Ha ha ha ha ! Those were some of the funniest parts !"

"Don't forget the "What knockers !" bit." Mina added.

Raoul patted Lux's back. "My friends, I believe we'll enjoy ourselves quite a lot ! We can guess quotes from various movies as we travel to various locations !"

An hour and many laughs later, they finally arrived at the Mara Engai Wildlife Lodge.

Raoul helped the group unload their luggage and brought them to their designated suites. Not only were there some really good-looking beds, there was also a nice view of the ravine forest and the Maasai Mara.

As they looked around the room, Ahsoka's attention was taken by a particular painting on the wall. "Hey everyone, check this out !" The others gathered around her. "Doesn't that painting remind you of Frau Blucher ?"

After having said the name, zebras were heard neighing in the distance. Mina ran off to look outside. "Ok… I'm not seeing any zebras out there… But I sure heard them !"

Lux took a closer look at the painting. "You really think it looks like Frau Blucher ?" The neighing of the zebras is heard again.

Travis was reminded of the scene in the movie. "Perhaps the lodge owners are playing a joke on us ?"

"Give me a sec, I'll see…" Daniel poked his head out the door. "Ahem… BLUCHER !" As the unseen zebras neighed again, Daniel just grinned like an idiot. "Probably a coincidence."

Ahsoka pointed to the beds. "We haven't slept that well on the plane, everyone. We'll need our rest if we want to be up bright and early and not miss our Safari tours."

Lux looked forward to what delicacies they'd enjoy during their stay. "Not to mention the breakfast, 'Soka ! No doubt we'll be served something typical of the region."

Fatigue crept on everyone and they fell in a deep sleep. They knew they'd witness some fascinating behaviour from all animals, be it grazers or predators.

 **So the group have finally reached the Lodge. Since Raoul enjoys quoting movies, you'll be treated to a lot of classic quotes from various comedies over the next couple of chapters. Have you all enjoyed the references to Revenge of the Nerds and Young Frankenstein ? There will be more of those as well. We'll begin to see the Bonteris witnessing a lot of predation from lions, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs and more !**

 **And with this comes a sadder note. I have recently made a very tough decision : I won't be returning to writing after this story. Despite the fact that I had a lot of fun over the stories, I feel that I've spent my imagination as much as possible. Another factor is that it has become more and more tedious to write these stories, including this one. That's why I am giving all my strength to make this one especially memorable. It has been a wonderful 3 years writing on this site, but I believe the time has come for me to move on… hopefully to even better things. My stories will remain on the site for everyone to enjoy. Thank you all for the continuous support. Feel free to leave a review.**


	5. The Greatest Show on Earth

**Saturday, July 7th**

After a night of much needed rest, the Bonteri Family slowly woke up, one by one. Mina was the first to rise out of bed. She stretched herself while yawning quietly. She stood outside, gazing at the plains they'd soon visit over the course of the day.

" _Phew ! This jet-lag is really doing a number on me. Hopefully after tonight, all of us ought to be back to normal. So we're in the beginning of July… Isn't this the time of the yearly Wildebeest migration ? What a sight that would be to witness ! Guess I'll cross my fingers and toes._ "

Lux rolled out of bed just as Mina re-entered the suite, making a beeline for the bathroom. "Morning, Mina ! Be right back !"

Minutes later, Lux walked out. "That ride was a long one, especially after being in an airplane for nearly a day. How are you feeling ?"

"Still jet-lagged, Dad. Probably after another good night of rest, I should be back to normal." Mina looked around for a coffee brewer. "Coffee. I _need_ a coffee."

Travis finally got up. "Mornin', Babe ! What do you suppose we'll do today ?"

"Most likely go on a tour of some sort. 3 of us are up. I know that Mom and Dan didn't sleep at all during the flight, their jet-lag will be even worse than ours." After some searching, Mina concluded that there was no coffee brewer in their room.

Lux went over to wake his wife. "'Soka ? 'Soka ? Wake up, sleepyhead !"

She only groaned in response. "Uhhh… Can I sleep some more ? So tired..."

"Come on ! You don't want to miss "The Greatest Show on Earth" now, do you ?"

She slowly rolled out of bed. "Ok, I guess not. First things first… does anyone need to go to the bathroom ?" She pointed.

Lux shook his head. "I'm good, and I'm sure Mina and Travis are as well. Don't know about Daniel, though. When he wakes up…"

"He's still asleep from what I can see, so I'll get going." Ahsoka entered the bathroom and looked around. " _Perfect. A switch for the fan and an air freshener spray bottle. I'm good to go._ " Several minutes later, she came out, but not before spraying liberally around the area.

Mina snorted a laugh. "Yep. If there's one thing we can count on, if for Mom to always stink the place up."

Ahsoka stuck her tongue out. "Oh sure ! Like you don't stink either when you're done ?! Give me a kriffing break, Mina !"

Daniel finally woke up. Stretching himself so much that his bones cracked. "Man, I needed some sleep bad. It was impossible to sleep on that plane."

"You'll still be jet-lagged for a day, bro. Tomorrow, you should be back to your zany old self." Mina commented.

"Well, I don't intend to miss anything on this trip, so I guess I'll go for two cups of coffee instead on just one. But, I need to visit the bathroom." The moment he entered, the smell caught him instantly. "Hoo boy ! Who cut the cheese ? Thank God there's that perfume that offsets it."

About an hour later, everyone was showered and clothed for the day. Expecting a hot day, everyone wore short jeans and a plain T-shirt. Mina's stomach began to grumble. "Sooo… where do we go to eat ?"

A knock was heard on their door. Their tour guide, Raoul showed up, looking excited. "Ask, and you shall receive, my friends ! Have we all had a good night of sleep ? We'll be departing in about an hour from now, around 10:30. But you must all be famished, right ? Come, let me bring you to the dining room."

Once they entered the dining room, a trio of cooks greeted them. Raoul pointed to the one in the middle. "He is our Lead Cook, everyone calls him "Chief". No doubt your palates will be treated to a whole new spectrum of flavours."

Chief introduced his breakfast. "Before you head out into the Maasai Mara, I thought you might enjoy a serving of fresh fruits, harvested from our garden. We have some Strawberries, Mangoes, Pineapples, Oranges and Bananas. I've also taken the liberty to brew a coffee made from African Coffee beans instead of the usual Columbian variety. I hope you'll be pleased."

Ahsoka knew she wasn't getting anything out of the meal. "Excuse me, Chief. I unfortunately have an allergy to all fruits and vegetables. Do you have any type of meat I could eat ?"

Chief was happy to oblige. "But of course, Madam. How about some Smoked Warthog Bacon and a Quail Egg, prepared to your preference ?"

"Sure ! I'll try that, sir." Ahsoka's mouth watered, anticipating the new taste experience.

"How would you like your egg ?" Chief inquired.

"Well cooked, no leaking if you can help it. With salt and pepper." Ahsoka answered.

"Very well." Chief placed a pill for her. "Before I forget, while all our animals are farm-raised, we cannot guarantee that they haven't been infected with Malaria. These Anti-Malaria pills will prevent any chance of infection. Please remember to take them before all your meals that has meat during your stay."

Ahsoka hesitated to take it. "Any side-effects I should know about ?"

"They may upset the stomach, but it's better to be safe than sorry, right ? I can tell you that Malaria infection is most unpleasant and can be lethal if not treated." Chief explained.

About 10 minutes later, Ahsoka's breakfast was brought before her. It took her a couple of minutes to finish. She gave a thumbs up to Chief. "That must have been the best bacon I've had in a good while. And that quail egg was definitely different. Thank you."

Chief rubbed his hands excitedly. "Wait until tonight, Madam. I have something I'm sure you'll enjoy greatly." He left off to clean up in the kitchen.

Everyone else took their time with their fruits and coffee. Half an hour later, everyone was done. Lux especially took longer to enjoy the unique flavour of the African coffee. Each sip brought him immense joy to his palate.

Raoul searched his pockets and found his keys for his vehicle. "Do you want to go according to the time schedule, or would you prefer to head out right now ?"

Mina spoke for everyone. "Little point staying here doing nothing, right ? We might as well hit the road earlier than planned. Maybe we'll see something we could have missed otherwise."

"Very well. Today, we're going to visit some Lion prides. We're almost certain to witness at least one kill. Are you all up for it ?" Raoul probed.

Everyone were excited for their first Safari tour. Once everyone boarded the vehicle, Raoul drove through a peculiar path.

"So… how about we play a "Guess the Quote" game until we get to our location ? Would you want me to begin or would any of you want to go first ?"

"I've got one !" Ahsoka boasted, clearing her throat. "Like I told my last wife. I said : Honey, I never drive faster than I can see. Besides that, it's all in the reflexes !"

Raoul immediately guessed right. "Oh, yes ! I remember ! Jack Burton, from Big Trouble In Little China, right at the beginning, when he's driving his truck, the Pork Chop Express, to San Francisco. My turn ?" He cleared his throat. "Listen, Herr Mac, I don't know what kind of people you're used to dealing with, nobody tells me what to do in my place !"

"I know ! I know !" Lux quickly replied. "That was Marion Ravenwood when she confronted the Nazi Toht in her bar from Raiders of the Lost Ark."

"Very good, Mr. Bonteri !" Raoul cheered. "Give us a challenge now !"

Lux thought long and carefully. "Hmm… Oh ! Here's one : There is no way… _No way_ that you could come from my loins. Soon as I get home, the first thing I'm gonna do is punch your mama in the mouth !"

Travis snorted a laugh. "Hah ! That would be Sheriff Buford T. Justice when he berated Junior for his incompetence from the first Smokey and The Bandit movie ! Ha ha ha !"

Lux patted his son-in-law in the back. "Well done, Travis. Let's see what you can think of ?"

A proverbial lightbulb appeared over Travis' head. "Ok, I got one : Anyone know how to say "Bite my crank" in Spanish ?"

Mina burst out in laughter. "Ha ha ha ! I know that one ! It's Booger asking the question to Pointdexter, who immediately translates, to humorous effect in Revenge of The Nerds 2."

"Yeah, that was easy for you, Mina. Can you do better ?" Travis challenged.

Mina scratched her montrals for a minute. "Hold on, folks. Give me a moment here. Ok ! How about this one : Madness is like gravity… All it takes is a little push ! Ha ha ha ha ha !"

Daniel stirred uncomfortably in his seat. "Oh, man ! That was the Joker from The Dark Knight. His last scene, his last line. Heath Ledger had given an incredible and chilling performance as him. Shame he died from a sleeping medication overdose a few months following shooting."

"Ok, bro. It's your turn !"

Daniel took a minute to think. "Oh… It's too easy, but every time I think of it, I can't help but chuckle. Here it is : Once, we successfully mated a Bulldog and a Shih-Tzu. We called it a Bullshit !"

Everyone burst out in fits of laughter. Ahsoka's stomach was hurting from laughing so hard. "Oh, Force ! I don't think we'll ever see a movie as hilarious as Dumb & Dumber. Jeff Daniels was spot-on with his role as Harry Dunn."

Even Raoul struggled to stop laughing. "Ha ha ha ! Ah yes, it was a great act by Daniels and Carrey. Their best movie together. The second one was nowhere as amusing."

Mina's lekku stripes darkened for a moment. "That was probably one of the most disappointing sequels in the history of film making. I was so embarrassed that I paid full price to see it at the theatres."

Suddenly, Raoul braked in the middle of the road. "Everyone, look ! There's two warthogs foraging by the edge of the road. Look to the other side… can you see the lions hiding in the brush ?"

Ahsoka took out her binoculars from her purse. "Ohhh… I see them ! You really think they'll attack, given that we're here ?"

"The lions have learned to use our presence to sneak undetected. The sound of the motor drowns their approach. Look on your right !" Raoul pointed.

Ahsoka turned her head, a lioness was slowly creeping by the vehicle, getting closer for a pounce attack. It was so close, Ahsoka could probably touch it.

"Don't stick your hand or head out for _any_ reason !" Raoul warned. "They're wild animals and will attempt to kill and eat you if given the opportunity."

The lioness was ready, she creeped closer and closer until she decided to pounce on the unsuspecting warthogs. One of them ran off, the other was caught and squealed as the lioness dug her sharp claws and fangs into its tough skin. A second lioness came to bite the warthog's jugular, slowly choking it. A large male lion came in case they needed help to bring the warthog down.

Mina was definitely impressed. "Psh ! All the documentaries in the world can't capture the struggle like we see it before our very eyes ! This makes me respect lions as apex predators more than ever !"

Daniel had to crack a joke. "So Nala finally decided to eat Pumbaa after all ! And it seems Simba has no problems eating one of his best friends ! Where's Timon in all of this ? Likely hiding in a burrow somewhere ?"

Mina swatted her brother's montrals. "Oh Dan, you idiot ! This isn't The Lion King, it's the real thing !"

Daniel scoffed at his sister. "Someone can't take a joke. Geez !"

Ahsoka poked at her son's shoulder. "Do not make another stupid Lion King reference during this trip, please ?"

Daniel slumped his shoulders. "You're such a party pooper, Mom !"

Ahsoka reacted by sticking her tongue out to him.

Lux tried to break the tension. "Children, behave yourselves. That includes you too, 'Soka."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Sure thing, _Dad_!"

Raoul had to break the arguing. "My friends ! My friends ! We are not here to squabble over petty insults, are we ? Come now, we'll let those lions eat in peace and we'll move further into the grasslands."

About 45 minutes of driving later, Raoul stopped close to the river, next to a tree. "In mere moments, we'll witness one of the most breathtaking spectacles the Maasai Mara has to offer !"

Mina was definitely curious. "And that would be ?" She heard a distant rumbling. "What's making that noise ? It sounds like thunder, but the skies are completely clear."

Raoul pointed to the other side of the river. Right on cue, a stampede of wildebeest, by the hundreds, were moving steadily towards the river. "Behold : The great annual wildebeest migration ! They come to the Maasai Mara to feed on the grasses and give birth to more calves. Aside lions, they have another major predator waiting for them : crocodiles !" He pointed at the floating forms in the river.

Ahsoka reached for her binoculars, getting a better look. "Holy Force ! That's a _lot_ of crocs ! How many wildebeest do you think they'll get ?"

Raoul stroked his beard in thought. "Hard to say, the most likely to be killed are the young, old and sick. I've seen wildebeest put up quite a fight to free themselves. Once they are caught in those jaws, there's rarely any escape !"

A wildebeest stumbled near the riverbed, got back up and attempted to swim to the other side like many others. Before it could even cross the middle of the river, it was surrounded by several hungry crocodiles. The crocodiles worked together to overpower their prey. One grabbed it by the snout, another by its hind legs and another by the rear. Incapable of moving, the wildebeest struggled to free itself, to no avail. It was soon dismembered alive in the water.

Mina felt sorry for the animal. "The others are so focused on survival that they leave him behind. I know it's nature and all, but it's still cruel."

"A few die each year in this river. Their numbers are so high that these deaths mean little to the overall population. It's the calves that are at the highest of risks. After being born, they're often taken by lions, leopards, hyenas and even wild dogs." Raoul explained.

The stampede of wildebeest passed next to them, completely ignoring their presence. Raoul checked his watch. "Well… it's Noon. Would you like to eat now ?"

Ahsoka felt bile rising from her throat. "After witnessing those kills, I'm not really hungry."

Mina, on the other hand, was starving. "What do we got ?"

Raoul stepped out of the vehicle and opened the rear compartment, digging into a cooler. "First, always keep water on hand." He handed everyone a water bottle. "Second, it's not really a lunch, but it should tide you until dinner tonight. I promise you all that Chief will have something amazing. I've never heard a tourist complain of his food. Anyways, these are jerky strips made with antelope, dried and cured." He handed them a few strips each.

Mina quickly tore into a piece. "Mmm ! This is great, if a bit salty. Good thing we have those water bottles."

Ahsoka gave in rather quickly. "Seems I'll have to eat regardless. Actually, I like this more than I thought I would. Thanks, Mr. Maboula."

Raoul was very modest. "Now, now. Call me Raoul. We are friends, yes ?"

"You're surprisingly fluent, I'll say ! No wonder tourists enjoy having you over the others." Lux commented.

As they drove some more into the plains, they witnessed a cheetah chasing down an impala. The impala was doing great but stumbled over some bushes, which cost it its life. The cheetah quickly caught it by the jugular, like most big cats, slowly but surely bringing the animal to its death.

Around 2:30 in the afternoon, Raoul decided to turn back. "The heat will be intolerable at this time of the day, we shall head back to the lodge. Any objections ?"

Lux's anticipation for the evening dinner showed. "None ! The faster we arrive, we'll probably have time for a beer or two before dinner."

Even Raoul couldn't argue with Lux's plans. "Mmm. Yes. A beer after a long day of traveling and watching nature is refreshing indeed. I trust you'll all be pleased with our selection. Chief ensured we'd have a beer for every palate."

Lux began to daydream about the possible beers he could enjoy. "I like the sound of that !"

As they went back, they witnessed another predator vs prey struggle. This time it was a leopard trying to catch a bush buck, a small, rarely seen species of deer. The bush buck managed to elude the leopard's grasp for a few moments, but it soon found itself into the leopard's sharp claws and fangs. A bite to the jugular brought it down, allowing the leopard to carry his meal atop a tree, so it can eat in peace and without disturbances from nearby hyenas, whom would steal its prey in a heartbeat.

Around 4:00, they finally reached the lodge. Aside the restroom breaks, everyone gathered at their suite, ready to indulge in their drinks of choice. Raoul brought the group to the dining room. Plates, utensils and napkins were placed, but no food yet.

Chief presented them the bar, which had an amazing assortment of liquor, beer and wine. "How about a beer ?" He chose Lux at first. "What can I serve you, sir ?"

Lux had long made his choice. "What I'm really in the mood for, is an English Extra Special Bitter. Do you have any of those ?"

"Actually, yes." Chief presented him a beer bottle and accompanied branded glass. "Fuller's ESB ought to please your palate. If you like a bit of hop and some bitterness, you'll love this." Chief poured the beer into the glass, offering it to Lux. "Here you are."

He turned his attention to Ahsoka. "What are you in the mood for, Madam ?"

"It's not something I drink often, but I have a sudden craving for an India Pale Ale. The more hoppy, the better." Ahsoka answered.

Chief pulled out a large bottle from the fridge and accompanied branded glass. "If you love flavourful IPAs, you'll love Garrison's Imperial IPA. It's a brewery in Nova Scotia, Canada. You can see on the label, they advertise it as a real _Hop Bomb_. It has an 8% ABV rating, so it's not a beer you can drink several in a row." He poured more than half of the beer in her glass. "Here you are."

Ahsoka first smelled the aroma. "Hoo boy ! Full frontal assault of pine and citrus. Yeah, I have a feeling just one will do it for me." She took a sip. "Holy Force ! This is _good_!"

Mina struggled to make her choice. "There's so many varieties to choose… I don't want anything too strong, nor too plain. Could you recommend me something ?"

Chief looked over his selection in his fridge. "How about a Brown Ale ? I have one that's made in Canada, the other is made in England."

"I guess I'll try the Canadian one." Mina answered.

"Good choice !" He presented her the beer and branded glass. "It's from a brewery in New Brunswick, Canada, called Picaroons. This is what they call the Historic Brown. It's both nutty and pleasant." He poured her the beer. "Here you are."

Daniel wasn't in the mood for a beer. "Got any spiced rum, Kraken in particular, by any chance ?"

Chief looked at his wall of liquor. "No Kraken, I'm afraid. However, we do have Captain Morgan and Sailor Jerry."

"Sailor Jerry, then." Daniel answered. "Got any Coke by any chance ?"

"A Rum & Coke, huh ?" Chief reached into his fridge, taking out a Coke. "Here we are. Would you like some ice in the glass ?"

Daniel shook his head. "Nah, I'll take it as is." Daniel mixed half and half of rum and coke in the glass.

It was time for Travis to be served. "Unlike the rest, I stick with plain beers. I'll say a Budweiser."

Chief offered him an alternative. "You are on vacation, young man. You should treat yourself to something special." He showed him a Czech beer and branded glass. "This is Pilsner Urquell, from Czech Republic. I promise you that you'll enjoy it. It's very approachable. Try it." He poured the beer into his glass.

Travis took a sip, being pleasantly surprised. "Hey, this ain't bad at all. Thanks for the suggestion, Chief."

Chief rang a small bell to get everyone's attention. "Dinner will be served at 5. Take your time and enjoy your beers. When I'll have the Entrée, we'll discuss the wine options."

At 5, everyone took their seats. Chief came over to explain the services. "All right, my friends. First off, we have the Entrée which is shanks of warthog piglets, with a maple flavoured gravy. The main course is an impala steak with mashed potatoes on the side and carrots. There is also a Roman Salad with a Balsamic Vinegar glaze. Last, but certainly not least, is a serving of chopped up Marula fruit with a Belgian Chocolate drizzle. For choice of wine, I would suggest either a Côtes-du-Rhône or an Italian Super Tuscan. What would you choose ?"

Lux being the wine expert of the group, thought about his options. "This is probably a longshot, but would you happen to have a bottle of Chateau Pétrus ? I've heard about it for years, but never could justify its cost."

Chief's answer was straightforward. "We have a couple of Chateau Pétrus in the cellar, but I'm not sure of the vintage year. We save them for _very special_ occasions."

Lux pointed to Ahsoka. "My wife retired a month and a half ago. Is that a special occasion in your mind ?"

Chief decided to let them have it. "It's as good a reason one could think of. I'll even make it extra memorable for you all. Not only will I serve you a bottle of Chateau Pétrus, but I'll also offer a couple of bottles of Sassicaia, a very expensive Super Tuscan."

Lux was amazed at Chief's generosity. "My, my, my ! Well… I can't say no to that. Thank you, Chief. I'll be sure to leave a glowing review for our service here. It's quite impeccable !"

"Very well, I'll go fetch the bottles in the cellar and I'll begin to bring the Entrée once I get back. I won't be long." Chief left off to get the wines.

Moments later, Chief arrived with the Entrée and wines. As everyone was about to eat, Chief implored them to wait. "I want to know your opinion on the Chateau Pétrus first." He uncorked the wine and poured a bit in all 5 glasses.

Lux brought the glass to his nose. "Hmm… It does smelly fairly fruity." He took a sip. "Oh ! Definitely red fruits and oak. It's definitely very pleasant."

Ahsoka took a sip. "This is a 3000$ wine ? It does taste good, I can't say the contrary. But is it worth that much ?"

"Hype is a powerful tool, Madam. Some people are willing to pay these prices just to impress others." Chief explained.

Over the course of the meal, their expectations had been surpassed by far and all 3 bottles had been drunk. If anything, they would definitely have a very expensive hangover in the morning. Lux was determined to write a very detailed review of their reception and service when he would be home.

 **So the group have seen a good deal of animals over their first trip and were offered a memorable first dinner during their stay. Over the course of the next chapter, they'll see more in the form of hyenas, wild dogs and they'll even have a close encounter with an elephant. They'll also look into the native Maasai culture as they visit an actual village and attend a special ceremony. Have you folks enjoyed the quotes ? There's going to be some more zany humor in the coming chapter. It will be posted over the week. Feel free to leave a review.**


	6. Ending and Thank You Notes

**Sunday, July 8th**

Over the following morning, the Bonteri family all endured a decent headache, the cause of their somewhat excessive drinking over the previous night. Lux was the first to wake, still feeling under the weather.

" _Ooohhh… Perhaps drinking those 3 bottles of wine wasn't such a good idea after all._ "

After a quick trip to the bathroom, Lux arrived to the sight of Ahsoka waking, obviously still feeling quite groggy. "Morning… What time is it ?"

Lux checked the clock on the wall. "9:45 ! Oh dear ! We've overslept a bit ! I doubt we'll be heading out later this morning."

Mina held a pillow over her head. "Can you be quiet ? I'm trying to sleep here ! Quit that racket !"

Neither Ahsoka or Lux were talking very loudly. It was then they heard a bellow from beyond their suite. It sounded like an animal struggling, along with some odd chirping.

Ahsoka and Lux stepped out to the balcony, to their shock, they saw a fairly large antelope being surrounded by a pack of canines. Raoul barged into the room and ran to the balcony. "That poor Kudu has no prayer ! Those wild dogs will tear it apart in moments. Whatever happens, do _not_ get involved in the struggle ! You'll only end up as lunch for them !"

Mina finally woke up along with Travis. The commotion got their curiosity. "I thought lions and crocodiles were brutal ! Those wild dogs are real killers !"

Daniel finally woke up, struggling to join with the others. The gruesome scene at their doorstep brought him out of his daze. "Holy Force ! Look at those things tear that antelope apart ! That has to hurt !"

"It may seem painful, but the wild dogs are equipped with sharp teeth that cut through the thickest of antelope hides, allowing them to slice and dismember most prey in a matter of minutes. The animal doesn't suffer for very long." Raoul explained.

About 5 minutes of struggle, the Kudu was finally brought down and immediately devoured. 20 minutes later, only the skeleton remained.

Ahsoka gathered all her strength to not vomit. "I think I've lost my appetite for the morning. Ick !"

They spent the next couple of hours recuperating from their hangover. Many glasses of water and cups of coffee were drunk. Around Noon, the Bonteris were pretty much back to normal.

Once Raoul came to retrieve the empty glasses and cups, Mina had to sate her curiosity. "So what are we doing today, Raoul ?"

"I have a different activity for today. We'll likely witness some wildlife on the way, but I think you might enjoy visiting the Maasai people. There is a small village beyond the great plains. If I'm not mistaken, they'll be performing a dance to commemorate the year's harvest and hunting. Unlike us, they live a very simple lifestyle, with little to no modern appliances. You'll see… It's like our ancestors of old, like before the Ice Age."

Mina, always interested in other cultures, was quite eager to go. "I really like the sound of that ! To see how they live, what they eat, how they go about their daily lives. It will no doubt be a fascinating experience for us."

"If the lot of you are ready, we can begin our road. It is a long way from here, so we'll be sleeping in some man-made huts that they'll happily provide for us. They love meeting tourists, even if they can't understand English." Raoul gathered the necessary supplies and brought them to his truck.

Halfway on their road, they came upon a rather disturbing sight. A cape buffalo calf was trapped in a mud puddle, while its mother stood nearby, hyenas tried to yank the calf out so they could make a meal out of it.

"Aww, poor thing. At least his mother is trying to protect it." Mina felt sorry for the calf.

"Unfortunately, the calf is too terrified to even follow its mother. Look, it went right back into the mud puddle ! I guess this one is meant to be lunch." Raoul took a look with his binoculars. "Alas, I'm afraid the mother will have to abandon her calf. There's at least 10 more hyenas coming towards them. As strong as the mother is, she can't defend herself against so many attackers."

After several failed attempts to rally her calf, the mother finally abandoned it, allowing the hyenas to move in for the kill. In a minute, all bellowing of the calf ceased. The hyenas laughed as they fought for scraps, causing Mina to shudder. "Never again will I see the hyena's laughter as funny. That is just so creepy !"

Daniel couldn't resist to crack a joke. "So… which ones are Shenzi, Banzai and Ed ?"

Mina proceeded to pull her brother's montrals slightly. "What did we tell you about those lame Lion King references ?"

"Ow ! Sometimes, I wonder if you really have a sense of humor !" He grumbled.

"Of course, I do. It's just that it goes over your simple logic, bro !" She snapped.

Raoul sighed. "Do they always quarrel like that ?"

"There were some bad times when they were younger, but they've calmed down over the years. I think the worst point was during their teenage years." Lux explained.

They were traveling down a paved road when they heard a loud growling noise. Raoul immediately recognized it. "There's a male elephant in the area, that much I can tell. It's mating season right now… and they can be quite territorial. We must drive carefully to avoid angering it."

In the distance, the immense bull slowly came onto the road, fixing his gaze on the vehicle. It made some odd movement with its ears and growled some more. Raoul tried to remain calm as much as possible. "I was afraid of this… It clearly does not like our presence. Perhaps if we wait a bit, it will move away."

The bull elephant trumpeted loudly and began to pace closer towards the truck. "Oh, no. No ! NO ! It's about to charge us ! Hold on everyone !" The elephant made a running charge, but before it connected with the vehicle, Raoul honked at it with the horn, causing it to suddenly stop its aggressive behaviour. It went off into the bush, growling softly.

Raoul's heartbeat returned to normal after a few minutes. "That was close ! Thank God that it stopped when I pressed the horn. Is everyone all right ?"

"Yeah, we're ok." A particular smell caught Mina's nostrils. "Woah, woah, woah ! Did someone- ?!"

All eyes turned to Lux, whose cheeks were red with embarrassment. Ahsoka realized what happened. "Lux… please tell me you _didn't_ crap yourself during that encounter ?"

"Sorry, 'Soka. Couldn't help it. It just happened." Lux squeaked.

Ahsoka quickly searched into her purse. "It's a good thing I planned for something like this. I brought a couple of extra underwear. Here, take this cloth and lotion and clean yourself in the back. I hope that I wouldn't be needing to drag diapers along soon. Come on, you have better self-control than that."

Several minutes later, Lux's dirty shorts were tossed into a garbage bag, which was sealed well enough to contain the pungent smell of Lux's accident.

An hour later, they finally reached the Maasai village. Most of the villagers were dressed in animal skins. Only a few had modern clothes like shirts and jeans. Children were running around the main path, playing some games. Some of the women were busy skinning an antelope the men had managed to catch. The meat would likely be cooked over a fire. A young woman was busy sculpting a lion out of a piece of wood.

That caught Mina's attention. "Oh ! Now this is the kind of souvenir I'd like to bring back to the kids. What do you think, Travis ?"

"Well… it's not exactly a toy, more like a decoration. Perhaps they'll like it. Do you think she'd sell it to us ?" Travis inquired.

Raoul had been with the two and talked with the woman in the Maasai dialect. The woman ran inside her hut, to return with two sculptures she had made some time before. One was a lion, the other an elephant. She said something to Raoul, which he translated to Travis and Mina. "I've told her that you have young children back at home. She wants you to bring these sculptures to them. She doesn't ask anything in return. She only hopes that your children will enjoy them."

"Tell her "Thank you" for me, Raoul. That is so kind of her !" Mina stashed the sculptures in her purse. They continued on their way. While the Maasai people were used to tourists, the looks of Ahsoka, Mina and Daniel definitely got their attention.

They were invited for a feast of fire-cooked antelope and roasted insects. Even Ahsoka was hesitant to pop a roasted locust in her mouth. " _Well… Anakin used to eat bugs sometimes during the Clone Wars, saying that he was feeding off the Living Force ! Heh… Guess I ought to give it a try._ " She popped the insect in her mouth, to her surprise, it tasted like prawn meat !

Travis was the least likely to try this odd choice of meal. Lux happily munched a grub that roasted for a while. "Hmm… tastes like almonds. Not bad."

After the feast, the women came for the dance performance, to give their thanks to the skies for their good harvest and hunts. The women were also topless, which was a normal sight for them.

Daniel on the other hand, had trouble focusing on the dance. "Look at the size of those coconuts !"

Ahsoka face-palmed, groaning. "Ohhh… Sometimes I wonder if he wasn't swapped with my _real_ boy back at the hospital. What if I'm not the only Togruta on this planet ?" She muttered to Lux.

Lux snorted a laugh. "He's ours, no doubt about that, 'Soka ! I think he got the "horny" part from me !"

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "You don't say, Sherlock !"

After the dance, everyone retired for the night. It was awkward to sleep on a bed of grass. But being so tired, they'd fall asleep regardless.

"Good night, Mina." Travis sang.

Mina wrapped an arm around her husband, kissing him. "Good night, Travis."

"Good night, Dad." Daniel called out.

Lux yawned. "Night, son."

Lux turned to Ahsoka. "Good night, 'Soka."

Ahsoka's response was anything but expected. "BUUURRRRP !"

Mina went into fits of laughter. "Ha ha ha ! Mom pulled a "Booger" ! What perfect timing !"

Lux was lost. "What are you talking about ?"

"In Revenge of the Nerds 2, they end up on a desert island. As they wish goodnight to each other, Booger simply replies by letting out a huge belch, prompting everyone else to laugh." Mina explained.

 **Monday, July 9th**

Arriving from their trip at the Maasai village, the group spent the afternoon relaxing. While Mina was yet reading another book, Daniel went on a small hike with Lux. Ahsoka happened to be playing a game of cards with Travis.

"Ok, Travis, show me your cards."

Travis decided to see if Ahsoka was learned in geek knowledge. "I think I have a frush !"

Ahsoka raised an eye marking. "What the fuck is a frush ?!"

Travis motioned to his card, enjoying Ahsoka's expected response. "Frush !"

She looked at her cards. "No, I've got two 7s. And two 7s beats a frush ! Gimme those !" She yanked his cards, handing him some new ones.

"When do I deal ?" Travis inquired.

"Well, you've gotta win a hand first !" Ahsoka snipped.

Later on, they were brought to the dining room. Chief had prepared some Cape buffalo burgers, which was quite different in taste and texture to the typical hamburger the Bonteris were familiar with. Chief also replaced the usual slice of cheddar cheese with a slice of Havarti, which was filled with bits of chilli pepper. It definitely made the group reach for their beers after a bite.

During the next several days, they went on a few more Safaris with Raoul. They were fortunate to see some giraffes, a rhinoceros, a secretary bird. By far the most amazing sight was a flock of vultures cleaning off the remains of a zebra killed by lions. Even jackals and hyenas joined in for the feast, showing a rare moment of inter-species tolerance during feeding.

 **Sunday, July 15th**

After arriving back in New York on Friday morning, the group took a couple pf days to recover from their jet-lag. On Sunday afternoon, Lux and Ahsoka had invited Burt, Linda, Mina, Travis and the twins to show off their vacation through a series of stills and some specially chosen footage. As Ahsoka set the projector in the living room, Lux was busy preparing some snacks. He made some nachos with some garlic-flavoured salsa, had some BBQ chips and some pretzels. There was plenty of drinks to choose from such as Coke, 7-Up, Root Beer, fruit juices for the kids and water for anyone that wasn't in the mood for soft drinks.

As they went through the various stills, Anakin and Padmé were completely enthralled by the sights. Then came the selected footage. Ahsoka had chosen three in particular : The lioness attacking the warthog on their first tour, the leopard struggling with the bush buck and finally, the heart-wrenching scene of the Cape buffalo calf abandoned by its mother and subsequently killed and eaten by a pack of hyenas. Anakin thought it was neat, but Padmé had to restrain herself from breaking out crying for the poor calf.

Ahsoka then showed stills of the Maasai village they visited, including shots of the insects they ate. Linda had to run to the bathroom as it made her queasy.

After the projection was over, Burt and Linda were especially jealous of Ahsoka's "Retirement Gift". "Incredible ! We may actually check that place out ourselves !"

Over the course of the evening, Lux had written a long and descriptive review of their reception at the Mara Engai Wildlife Lodge, particularly praising Raoul and Chief.

As Ahsoka set out for sleep, Lux joined her.

He covered himself in the blankets. "That was quite the adventure, was it not ?"

She slid next to him, kissing him. "Honestly, I could not think of a better way to celebrate my retirement. Thank you."

"In reality, it's Mina you should be thanking, not me." Lux replied.

"You helped her in insisting she got picked, so you had a hand in it regardless." Ahsoka pointed out.

Suddenly, something came in mind to Lux. "34 years ! Where has the time gone ?!"

She wrapped a loving arm around him. "I know. Had you told me that we'd be living happily together when we first met back at Raxus, I would have never believed you."

Lux counted their adventures together. "Yes… I should've died at least 5 or 6 times. When Dooku's droids took me for interrupting the Peace Summit on Mandalore, our skirmish with Death Watch, when we fought to free Onderon from the Separatists and Rash… Smaug… Our quest to help the Ring-Bearer on Arda… and finally adapting to a civilian lifestyle on Earth. That was especially interesting."

"You know what I would like to hear right now… more than anything ?" She asked.

Lux, stumped, turned to her. "What ?"

"Those three little words. They bring me so much happiness."

Lux immediately caught to her meaning. "Oh ! Of course ! I love you, Ahsoka."

She wrapped both of her arms around him, enjoying his warmth. "I love you too, Lux."

The couple fell asleep in each other's arms. They knew they had years to enjoy each other. They would make the best of it.

The End.

 **And now ends my last story on this site. I've wrapped it up faster than I anticipated, but I think I did quite good. Who am I kidding ? I'm going out with a bang ! I took the liberty of tossing some more Revenge of the Nerds humor, mostly surrounding the character Booger. The way he acts and speaks is so funny.**

 **If I was to choose 5 stories that I enjoyed working on the most, this one would not be part of it. Instead, I would go first with Wrath of Smaug, which started off my writing "career" on this site. Then, I would need to lump both A Fresh Start of Things and Wishes Come True together since they both explore Lux and Ahsoka's ongoing progress of adapting to a normal life on Earth and also introducing characters like Burt, Mina and Daniel, which would become an important part of Lux and Ahsoka's lives.**

 **Third would have to be Unchanging Fates, which allowed me to explore the possibility of how Revenge of The Sith might have played out if Ahsoka had stayed with the Jedi Order. Fourth has to go to Of Jedi and Magi. While it is not my most followed story, this one is important for me since I brought a whole new point of view to Final Fantasy 3/6, my favorite game of all time, by having Obi-Wan and Ahsoka join the Returners to topple Kefka's reign of Madness. Last, but certainly not least would be The Forgotten One, since it allowed me to breathe some new life into the Original Trilogy. I have enjoyed writing Mina's witty comebacks with the Falcon crew.**

 **And now, I'm going to get a bit more personal as I thank several reviewers in particular whom helped me feel that I was doing something worthwhile on this site.**

 **Lux's Sister : You have been with me since the very beginning. Even on stories which the subject matter was foreign to you, you still took the time to review all the time. Our conversations we've had via PM had always been extremely engaging. You've helped me on several places in some of my stories by providing some unique ideas to make my story stand out more than it would have otherwise. And also thank you for introducing me to Game of Thrones. I thoroughly enjoyed the series and even got a crossover out of it ! And your While Others… series of AUs was very inspiring for me. I cannot thank you enough !**

 **Daviddavies5851 : You've been a constant follower on my Modern stories. Our appreciation for metal music brought us to discuss some bands in the beginning. You've convinced me to check out some of them. Thanks a lot for that !**

 **Johnt12345 : You've been showing up every now and then since Ring Wars. Everytime I saw a review of yours, it always brought a smile to my face. Plus we did have some interesting discussions via PM. I wish you the best !**

 **Darth Cody : You've given me some ideas on Wishes Come True and likely some other stories. I'm still very thankful that you've allowed me to use your artwork of your vision of Mina Bonteri (Ahsoka's daughter) for the cover of The Forgotten One. And for your own series of AU, I really like what you've did with the character without removing her snippy personality. Thanks, man !**

 **Ahsoka101/Legoryan4579 : You've both provided some great ideas for Wishes Come True. Ahsoka101's idea of having Mina being trained in the Force was brilliant, while Legoryan4579's idea of making a pairing of Mina and Travis also worked quite well. Thanks again guys for reviewing !**

 **Take care, everybody.**


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